‘Likelihood’ of disruption to next year’s examinations
EDUCATION Secretary John Swinney yesterday admitted there is a ‘likelihood’ of disruption to next year’s exams.
Mr Swinney confirmed proposals are being drawn up which could see the 2021 exams delayed following a surge in Covid-19 cases in Scotland.
He said plans will be unveiled in the Scottish parliament a week tomorrow – just days before schools prepare to break up for the October holidays.
Mr Swinney said a contingency plan was necessary as there is a ‘likelihood’ school pupils will face disruption to their schooling as the country struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Swinney told the BBC’s Politics Scotland programme: ‘The Government’s priority is we should see the exam diet go ahead in the spring.
‘But we have to be mindful of the likelihood that there will be interruptions to learning and teaching between now and then for some learners at local level.
‘So we are looking at contingency options and I will be making a statement to parliament a week on Tuesday to set out the latest position on the Government’s thinking.’ Around 75,000 pupils were issued with new grades after having their results downgraded in a controversial moderation process by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It saw teacher estimates adjusted by the SQA based on the school’s previous performance, which had a negative impact on thousands of youngsters. A massive backlash from pupils, parents, teachers and politicians forced Mr Swinney into an embarrassing Uturn after a week of sticking to the SQA grades, claiming this had been fair overall. He faced calls to quit over the chaos, which came shortly after he abandoned a move for ‘blended learning’. This would have resulted in children being in the classroom part-time.