BAD EDUCATION
A level results: Self-assessment chaos could last ANOTHER year as Covid threatens 2022 exams
SCHOOLS and students could face another year of exams uncertainty with teacher-assessed grading stretching into 2022, Gavin Williamson has said.
The education secretary announced contingency plans are being drawn up for a third year without A-Level and GCSE examinations if another Covid wave hits.
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But he stressed that ministers want to see a return to a much more normal exams set up next year.
His remarks came as pupils in England achieved record A-Level results today with almost half of grades awarded at A* and A.
The proportion of top grades has almost doubled from 25% in 2019, when exams were last held, to 45% now.
Mr Williamson said an "extensive consultation" will soon get underway on how teacher assessment would work next year if it's needed again.
He said: "We would always rather go through the process of examinations rather than teacher assessed grades.
"We very much hope we'll be moving to a system where we're able to move into the more normal pattern of examinations from next year.
"But we're always conscious there’s this pandemic, we’ve not always been able to predict the course of it, and it’s absolutely right we have contingencies there."
Teacher assessments would only be used again if schools had to close during the next academic year as part of a new lockdown.
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Separately, the Department for Education is looking at proposed changes to how exams would be structured next year.
Changes are needed to make sure pupils who lost out on learning during the lockdowns aren't put at a disadvantage.
They could involve giving students advanced notice of the content that exams in each subject will focus on.
Exams chaos
It comes after the Government was slammed over the way in which it announced that exams would be scrapped this year.
Ministers have been heavily criticised for not publishing a consultation on moving to teacher assessed grades until the end of February.
A report by the respected Institute for Government think tank claimed Boris Johnson had ordered civil servants not to draw up contingency plans.
Mr Williamson defended the response and said the "really difficult decision" to ditch exams was taken as soon as schools were closed in January.
The education secretary insisted parents could be "incredibly proud" of their kids' results and reassured them the grading system is robust.
This cohort of students have had to deal with a level of disruption that no-one has seen before
Gavin Williamson
He admitted that "we do expect students to be getting better grades" but said it's "very difficult" to compare their achievements to previous years.
And he insisted businesses looking to recruit young people "can have real confidence" that the results are a fair reflection of their ability.
He said: "This cohort of students have had to deal with a level of disruption that no-one has seen before, not even using a world war.
"We do have a rigorous system of grading and awarding people have been awarded this grade on the basis of evidence."
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He added: "We should start off by congratulating all children for the amazing work they’ve done.
"They’ve worked tirelessly. We should be incredibly proud of their achievements, incredibly proud of the grades they achieve.
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"It is about success and we should be celebrating that success."
The record grades are set to spark a mad rush for university places amid fears the admissions system will be unable to cope with the numbers.
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