Students will get chance to grade Tories

LAST week, like many throughout the UK, we suffered a totally unnecessary period of stress as a result of the chaos created by Government in relation to school examination results.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson noting the embarrassing U-turn by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in relation to Scottish A-level results should have realised that the only course of action for him to take was to follow suit immediately. But no, he stuck to his doomed plan, causing a lot of misery.

In our family, we had a granddaughter who was awarded a B, C and D by the flawed algorithm, only five days later to have this regraded to an A, C, and C. She will now be off next month to study her chosen subject at the university of her choice. However, it will take a long time to erase the memory of the period of waiting – for the system was grossly unfair. Perhaps Mr Williamson was discouraged to take earlier action by his masters, for fear of political fallout in following the example set in Scotland.

Labour and Sir Keir Starmer had a field day, for they could criticise without having to take a decision or state what they would have done.

It might be remembered that all those affected will be voters at the next election and this avoidable fiasco will linger long in their memories. A a vote-winner in the future it was an utter disaster.

Government’s decision to use the infamous algorithm, suggested that they did not believe that the teaching profession could be trusted to give a fair and unbiased judgement. This was an unnecessary slur which has won no friends.

Yes, it is just possible that a stressed teacher might have slightly downgraded a troublesome pupil as it would also be possible that a favourite scholar might have been benefited, but as a generalisation, a fair result would have and has been achieved.

Once again, another piece of mismanagement that might have a detrimental effect in the future, when the electorate give their judgment.

Russell Luckock is chairman of Birmingham pressings firm

AE Harris