A-Levels chaos could cause dentistry students to be deferred
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 19th August 2020
Several universities have demanded urgent clarity from the government following the back-and-forth controversy that has plagued this year’s A-Level exam results. Following the public outcry and anger generated by the algorithms initially employed to determine the A-Level results of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland it has now been announced that students will instead be able to receive grades scored by their teachers.
Now, leading universities have stated that students receiving higher grades following the government’s U-turn could be asked to defer their place if there is no space left on their preferred course. In some courses, including dentistry, institutions may not be able to admit students this year.
“We are therefore seeking clarity from the Government and relevant agencies about ensuring as many students as possible can be accepted to their first-choice university,” said vice-chancellor Professor Chris Day and deputy vice-chancellor Professor Julie Sanders from Newcastle University. “We recognise, however, that some programmes have an externally-determined cap where numbers are tightly restricted because of space or specialist facilities. This is particularly the case for clinical subjects such as medicine and dentistry. We are therefore seeking clarity from the Government and relevant agencies about ensuring as many students as possible can be accepted to their first-choice university. Where this is not possible, we will guarantee a deferred place for next year.”
Queen’s University Belfast, meanwhile, is seeking clarity as to whether the quotas for medicine and dentistry courses could be adjusted. A spokeswoman said: “Any applicants to quota-controlled courses who meet the conditions of their offer but cannot be allocated a place for the forthcoming academic year will be provided an unconditional offer for the 2021-22 academic year.”
