TEACHERS SEIZE TOTAL CONTROL OF EXAMS
Staff to award pupils’ A-level and GCSE grades Experts warn policy undermines credibility Universities predict chaos on admissions
Teachers will have almost complete control over deciding the Gcse and a-level grades of their pupils this summer, it was announced last night.
education secretary Gavin Williamson said staff will also get to choose how they assess children – after exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Teachers can decided to rely on previous essays, coursework, mocks or any other type of classwork if they wish.
They can also decide to set their own ‘mini-exams’, either of their own making or using questions provided by exam boards – but they will not need to enforce exam conditions.
Grading decisions will only be altered by exam boards in rare cases where malpractice or questionable standards are exposed. however, experts warned that the new emphasis on ‘trusting teachers’ completely with determining results may lead to significant grade inflation and widespread fluctuations in results.
The education Policy Institute (ePI) said that without proper guidance for schools on how to benchmark grades against previous years there could be huge ‘inconsistencies’ which could make it difficult for universities to evaluate pupils.
David Laws, executive chairman of the ePI, said: ‘Without robust mechanisms in place which anchor the overall results at a level which is consistent with previous years, there is a danger that the value and credibility of this year’s grades are seriously undermined.’
Lee elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of exeter, said: ‘For millions of pupils and parents the single biggest concern with grades decided solely by teachers will be how will they be made fair? We know that such assessments are fraught with unintended consequences that are likely to tilt the education playing field even further against disadvantaged pupils.’ Under the plans, once teachers have determined and submitted their grades, the marks will be approved at school level.
They will then be submitted to exams boards whose refereeing role will be limited to making checks, via random sampling, to try to ensure ‘consistency of judgements’, ‘as much fairness as possible’ and to check that the correct processes have been followed. There may then be more detailed investigations of specific schools if their results appear seriously askew.
The new proposals signal a change of policy compared with last year when teachers’ estimated grades were subjected to a ‘standardisation’ process by exam watchdog Ofqual. The system used a controversial algorithm which saw thousands of children having their results downgraded.
This led to an outcry and protests over the plan and it was scrapped days later, with grades then reverting to teacher predictions. Despite fears over the potential for grade inflation, the proposals for this year received backing from education unions last night.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of headteachers’ union ascL, said he supported the approach ‘as the fairest way of giving [pupils] grades’.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National education Union, said the Government had ‘listened to the consensus amongst the profession and this process gives students the best chance at grades which are as fair and consistent as possible in the circumstances’.
Mr Williamson said: ‘We are providing the fairest possible system for pupils, asking those who know them best – their teachers – to determine their grades, with our sole aim to make sure all young people can progress to the next stage of their education or career.’
simon Lebus from Ofqual said the arrangements would ‘make sure students’ grades reflect what they have achieved’.
‘Tilt the education playing field’