Highers in Scotland, can someone explain ?

No, I didn't but here it is:

www.gov.wales/welsh-baccalaureate

Some schools in England offer the Baccalaureate too.

In Scotland most students sit between 5 and 8 subjects at National 5 then academic pupils sit Higherx in fifth year. They can study Advanced Highers in 6th year. These are the equivalent of A levels. Universities award points for different levels of award.

The Baccalaureat offered in the UK is not the same as on the Continent.

In order not to get confusion, I'd be grateful if we could stick to accurate current information on Highers. How many subjects do students take on average for post 16 edu/Uni entrance.

Most will take four or five Highers if they intend to go to university. It depends on the course. Law and medicine will want five Highers in one sitting ie five done in S5 and appropriate Advanced Highers in S6. If pupils apply to university, they would be expected to have a least 4 Highers. Usually one will be English but some courses don't insist on that.

Thanks again. So not as wide as I previously thought- only 1 or 2 subjects more than for traditional A'Levels.

The Continental type Baccalaureat requires students to continue all main subjects, so about 8 or 9.

Grandmabatty you’re right, I realised I had confused myself. My dd took two SYS and one new Higher in S6, so not a crash SYS.

The schools my children went to all did five Highers when it was academically appropriate, followed by two/three SYS or a mix of SYS and Highers or other qualifications. They had to have a full diet of study, though - no loafing allowed!

Scottish pupils tend to sit 5 Highers in fifth year as opposed to 3 A levels in what used to be upper sixth in England. A levels score higher UCAS points but over fewer subjects. Highers are generally seen as equivalent to AS levels. However most pupils looking at university entrance will go on in 6th year to take Advanced Highers
( Volver, these replaced CSYS) and these are more difficult than A levels. My oldest two grandchildren are taking 5 Highers each this year over a broad range including English. Maths, Biology and Art.

In Scotland children spend 7 years at primary school from age 5 (give or take) to age 11 - P1 to P7. Then six years (or 4 if they leave at 16) at secondary from age 12 to age 17 - S1 to S6. People have explained the exams previously.
There are generally 2 years at nursery age 3 and 4.

A Level is a 2 yr course. Highers take 1 yr. A Levels therefore more advanced. However ... I used to be a University Lecturer (Education) and have to say I was v disappointed in some of my A Level students!!

i was reading on MN about the irish system recently.
i'm not sure how it works nut i believe it's closer to the continental one.
in order to pass equivalent of A-levels, students have to pass in all subjects, including irish.
not sure how many subjects there are. must be some choice. guess core and optionals.
anyway i was more interested in entry to university system.
the MN poster definitely thought the irish system was better, fairer, simpler.
it is all administered centrally and kind of done on an algorithm ?
there points awarded for performance in exams.
say if there are 1000 university places, then the computer matches the top 1000 students to that.
there must be some filtering for preferences.
years ago i heard that students would choose their course on what they had the minimum points for.
eg if you got 100 points and that year vet medicine
needed 100, you would choose that.
even if you'd prefer accountancy, that only needed 90 points that year.
you could apply for accountancy, but you would be looked down on, as everyone knew what the points needed for the main subjects were in each year.
someone i knew wanted to be a teacher, but did accountancy instead, because of that.
don't know if this still goes on.
but the blind allocation of places seems better.

makemineajammiedodger

A Level is a 2 yr course. Highers take 1 yr. A Levels therefore more advanced. However ... I used to be a University Lecturer (Education) and have to say I was v disappointed in some of my A Level students!!

Thanks. Baccalaureat in Europe is a 3 year course.

Many of my friends in worked in Universities in England used to comment about the very low level of basics, which they had to go all over again in first year- wasting so much valuable time from the rest of the course.

Casdon

I don’t know where you got your information from Felupepper, but my son did the Welsh Baccalaureate at school, and that was 10 years ago?

UK Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate are very different systems.

IBDP students take 2 languages. Language A, usually their mother tongue but doesn't have to be, and also a 2nd language.

IBDP is also broad. Students have to do maths and a science.

It's not a continental Baccalaureate. It's truly international, as in, world wide. Even some UK schools do it.

Fleurpepper

makemineajammiedodger

A Level is a 2 yr course. Highers take 1 yr. A Levels therefore more advanced. However ... I used to be a University Lecturer (Education) and have to say I was v disappointed in some of my A Level students!!

Thanks. Baccalaureat in Europe is a 3 year course.

Many of my friends in worked in Universities in England used to comment about the very low level of basics, which they had to go all over again in first year- wasting so much valuable time from the rest of the course.

Yes I’d agree that quite often the basics you would expect to be there, certainly in terms of English language, is not always there at the beginning. I cannot comment on maths.

IBDP has been 2 years as long as I've taught it. Only students who fail their first year redo DP1.

Why did I refer to AH’s as SYS? I can only blame it on my DC having had the names of their exams changed as they all went through the school system and me spending Friday chasing a 15mo baby round my house, trying to keep him out of mischief!

Suedonim 🤣 They used to be called Certificate of Sixth Year Studies so you were accurate, once upon a time.

GagaJo

IBDP has been 2 years as long as I've taught it. Only students who fail their first year redo DP1.

In Europe, the baccalaureat is always a 3 year course.

I have over 40 years experience in both European style Baccalaureat, and AS/A'Levels.

What I am trying to understand better, is how the system works, post 16- in Scotland, and the breadth of subjects taken, and which are compulsory as a core, to the end.

The UK left the EU, not Europe. 😂

Who's talking about the EU? Nobody 😕

Forgive my observation, but I think that shows a certain degree of obsession.

volver

A-levels are at a different level from Highers, they are more advanced.

I studied for six Highers, dropped Latin at Christmas, before the exam, despite it being my best subject. I wanted to concentrate on the languages.
In sixth year, I studied A level French and German and sixth year studies English. A level English wasn't an option.

Fleurpepper

GagaJo

IBDP has been 2 years as long as I've taught it. Only students who fail their first year redo DP1.

In Europe, the baccalaureat is always a 3 year course.

Is that a different system? Because International Baccalaureate is definitely 2 years. I've taught it in 3 different Euro schools (Spain and 2 in Switz.). All 2 year courses.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IB_Diploma_Programme#:~:text=The%20International%20Baccalaureate%20Diploma%20Programme,recognized%20by%20many%20universities%20worldwide.

I thought the International Bacc was based on the Euro Bacc, because certainly the International Baccalaureate started in Switzerland.

Then you have completely missed the point of my post.

To my knowledge Baccalauréat studies are International, Continental and here in UK, which is part of Europe.

FYI I am gutted that we are no longer part of the EU.

The above was in reply to Volver