The OU requires students to get 85% or more to get a grade 1 for each course,you will generally need mostly grade 1's to get a 1st class degree. Thus if you want academic rigour albeit at a much lower cost than a conventional uni or college then I would recommend it.

R Daggett, Gateshead, England

There is no such thing as intellectual equality. some are bright some are not and awarding both a "degree" does not differentiate. If students pay for their tuition they become customers and believe they have a right to challenge the goods they have been sold. Just airm for Oxbridge.

jane, Whittlesey, UK

The current degree classification is already recognised as no longer fit for purpose and will be overhauled in 2010, apparantly. Twenty years ago, a desmond was actually the most common result ! Nowadays its a euphemism for "'fail'. Welcome to the new classification system : first, 2.1 and fail !

Jack Waller, london, uk

The degree classification has been recognised for some time as no longer being fit for purpose, apparantly. 20 years ago, a desmond was the most common result and still constituted an "achievement". Now its a euphemism for fail. Welcome to the new classification system : first, 2.1 and fail !

Jack Waller, london, uk

The solution is simple. Construct educational league tables (all of them, not just universities') according not to increasingly arbitrary grades, but according to the average salary earned by their alumni, say, five years after graduating.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

There is a simple solution: tell all universities to award the same proportion of each class of degree. Eg the top 20% of each university's students get 1sts, 50% get 2.1s etc. The same would work for A-levels, although they would probably be marked nationally and not school-by-school.

Rowan, Oxford,

I feel sorry for the intelligent students at university, as everyone will soon be tarred with the same brush of 'degrees are too easy'. Until the government accept not every student is as intelligent as the next, it will just get worse.

Arthur, Newcastle,

This is not good for students at all. It means that their degree certificate is going to become even more worthless. Employers and other higher education institutions are less able to make meaningful decisions based on the awarded class. This is a slide in the integrity of academia, very bad news

Kevin, Sandown, England

My goodness! I did not think that "so What" Balls' policy of downgrading GCEs and A levels had been taken up by Universities. However, some years ago I know that Universities were under pressure to pass at least 85% of degree candidates

M. Cawdery, ramone, Co. UK, EU.

Another sign of decay & dying ethics of the British Education system. The end product is not fit for purpose, but the illusion and delusion reaches ever higher levels. Lowering standards,with no intention to achieve them. Rubbish in Rubbish out. The benchmark sets levels in life & industries In UK.

alexander, victoria,

Why doesn't the Government just offer degrees for sale? Some would cost the earth and some could be sold for a rock bottom price, say £20. Each month a degree could be given away free in a popular breakfast cereal.

stan, croydon,

Surely this is good for Students.lol
I hope my university is doing this

charlie, london,