Talk:Higher (Scottish)

The qualification is actually called just "Higher", no longer "Higher Grade". However, I don't really know how to move pages -- nor whether it's desirable in this case to move this page to "Higher", which is correct, but more ambiguous. Can anyone help? (Same comments apply to Advanced Higher) -- Mendor 09:57, 24 Apr 2004 (UTC)


 * I'm pretty sure they are still technically called Higher Grade and Advanced Higher Grade. What changed with the examinations reform was that "SCE Higher" (Scottish Certificate of Education) became "NQ Higher" (National Qualifications). -- A victim of the 2000 SQA meltdown

Another 2000 victim adds -- the previous qualification was properly known as the Scottish Certificate of Education. After the abolition of the Ordinary Grade, the Scottish Certificate of Education was awarded on the Standard Grade and on the Higher Grade. The Certificate of Sixth Year Studies was a completely separate qualification. Hence, the correct way to refer to a pre-2000 Higher is to say that you hold the Scottish Certificate of Education on the Higher Grade in English, for example. The word 'grade' was dropped when Higher Still came in, because the new Highers were no longer the Higher Grade of the S.C.E. It's still correct to talk about Standard Grades, because pupils still sit the Standard Grade of the S.C.E., but 'Higher' is now the name of the qualification in its own right. Advanced Highers were never ever part of the S.C.E., and hence can't have 'grade' attached to them at all.

This is the technical (and rather messy) position. The argument is that it was done in this way because the S.Q.A. intends to abolish the Standard Grade, and the Scottish Certificate of Education, eventually.

Perceived Bias
This article has a bias I am not happy with - the move to a modularised system was not a direct result of the merging of SCOTVEC and SEB. The 'Higher Still' project was many years in the making, indeed many teachers from my old High School (Beeslack Community High School) were involved.

The aim of Higher Still was to merge the best of the two systems - SCOTVEC and its system of continous assessment and SEB with its academic remit.

Requested Move to Higher (Scottish)
The reasons for move copied from WP:RM

Corrects name and avoids ambiguity. Davidkinnen 08:05, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Higher Grade - (rename to) - Higher (Scottish)


 * Add *Support or *Oppose followed by an optional one sentence explanation, then sign your vote with ~ 

Discussion

 * Add any additional comments

It is correctly called Higher not Higher Grade, adding (Scottish) prevents ambiguity. Davidkinnen 08:05, 27 July 2005 (UTC) although it took me more than a year! I feel though that either it shouldn't have any disambiguation, or it should read "Scottish exam" or "Scottish qualification" (rather than just "Scottish") — Mendor 21:02, August 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * Supporter
 * Support

I'd say the problem here is that the article doesn't explain the various levels within Higher Still. If we move to Higher it could cause confusion between the Intermediate levels and the actual 'Higher' Level Robmods 12:47, 9 August 2005 (UTC)


 * As far as I'm aware "Higher Still" is no more. The all-encompassing term is now "National Qualifications", which includes everything from Int1 to Advanced Higher (but not, irritatingly and confusingly, Standard Grade!) Mendor 21:02, August 9, 2005 (UTC)

Just as a minor point, I feel this the sentence should be changed: "At the end of each unit (each about 40 hours long) students sit a very basic competency test." The NAB is, normally, only at Grade C for science subjects and sometimes between grades A and B for other subjects. Unfortunately I have only what teachers have told me to go on so if anyone has any good sources... Basically I feel this sentence is slightly misleading. A Grade C does not necessarily mean 'very basic', it just means Grade C of the course and sometimes NABs can be fairly challenging. For example, in English, Close Reading NABs are rarely 'very basic', though it does depend very much on the particular test. Some of these tests are extremely easy but some are fairly difficult. Therefore I feel 'very basic' is too general as well. Hydraton31 11:28, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

Higher Still
From this section "At the end of each unit (each about 40 hours long) students sit a very basic competency test, an Internal Assessment. All three must be passed (with two or less attempts) or the student will not be awarded that Higher, even if they Ace the final exam." So I'm wondering, "All three" what? The first sentence only mentions two items. It seems that there should have been a third item listed at the end of the first sentence. Can someone with knowledge of this subject please correct this line.Rincewind42 04:22, 5 November 2006 (UTC)


 * A little late in a responce, but what the writer of that section is referring to is the fact that you sit three units, each of which is accompanied by an Internal assessment, set at the lowest level of competancy. there are three of these, and all three must be passed.


 * I think what he was referring to was the fact that not all courses are at the "lowest level of competancy". I am only a student but I know that the 4 (yes, there are four units) NABs in Higher Philosophy are at level A. Or more precisely I should say at the level of the exam, whatever that may be. The only difference is the NAB is testing your knowledge on the one unit alone so if you add any information from other units you cannot gain credit for them. Maybe this should be amended?217.42.113.101 (talk) 20:14, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

Coursework (or lack thereof)
The article states that all Highers have coursework of some sort, however, Higher Maths does not contain any at all. For this reason I am changing the comments regarding coursework to 'most Highers' or similar. Please contact with any objections. --Hydraton31 15:11, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

When I sat my Highers last year, none had any coursework (Maths, English, Sciences, French). Arguably, the lab-report, which counts as a pass/fail module, but internally marked, could be considered as such for the sciences, similarly the creative-writing pass/fail module (although I think it is optional) for English, or similarly the writing modules for modern languages, however these were never referred to, or regarded, as coursework. From what I know History (and art also) has coursework, which is externally marked as part of the exam grade. Qualalol (talk) 19:38, 18 May 2010 (UTC)

Neutrality of 2000 sqa controversy
"The administrative structure accompanying the new system was not entirely successful, and 2000 saw a marking fiasco that cost the head of the authority his job and severely damaged the career of the Education Minister, Sam Galbraith."

I was reading this and I feel the way this sentence is phrased overly emphasises the damage to a few people who failed to properly manage the exam, rather than the actual damage to students who severely lost out as a result. Does anyone else agree it should be changed? Regards, 747-200B (talk) 15:24, 31 May 2020 (UTC)