Lost chance to reform university admissions

Plans to allow students to make their university applications after they have received their A-level grades have been abandoned. The UCAS admissions service said that the proposals, which had been hailed by many as a step towards a fairer system, faced “insurmountable difficulties”. It commented that, while in principle “applying with known qualifications’ grades represents a logical and desirable goal,” in practice it did not believe that was practical to implement: “It simply would not be feasible to shoe-horn a post-results model into the current academic year.”

This is a lost chance to reform the admissions system to one that would allow both students and universities to make informed decisions.

A post-qualifications application (PQA) system would be fairer and more accurate for both students and universities. Students would be spared a great deal of stress and the administration of applications to higher education would be simplified.

It seems that the current system will continue because it's the easy option and the better alternative needed effort and resolve to implement. Stagnation, it seems, is easier than reform.

Let us hope that this is lost chance, rather than a last chance, and efforts to reform the system will continue.