Anger over exams farce
■ Stockport MP says “futures shattered” by A-Levels fiasco ■ Students still facing anxious wait following results u-turn
STOCKPORT’S MP says government failures have “shattered” futures - despite this week’s shock exam results u-turn.
Thousands of students were left heartbroken after their A-Level results were initially downgraded under a controversial algorithm marking system.
But following a major backlash, their grades will now revert to teachers’ assessments.
Stockport MP Navendu Mishra said it was “humiliating” for the government.
“This has been an incredibly distressing period for students, their families and teachers, and the unfortunate reality is that this welcome news has come too late for thousands of pupils who will already have missed out on their first choice or insurance university offer,” he said.
Cheadle Hulme student Charlotte Walker-Prosser, who was expecting two As only to initially gain a B and a C, is among those awaiting news. She said: “I am still angry because I still don’t know if I will be able to go to university in September or not.”
Both the government and the exams watchdog Ofqual have apologised.
Stockport Grammar School said they were “delighted” at the rethink.
STOCKPORT’S MP says government failures have “shattered” futures following its exam results u-turn.
Almost 40 per cent of A-Level results were initially downgraded under a controversial algorithm grading system, leaving thousands of pupils heartbroken.
But following a major backlash, grades will now be reversed and based on teacher’s assessments. Students awarded a higher grade by the moderation process will keep it, but for many pupils, their teachers’ predictions could see their mark improve. The change will also apply to Thursday’s GCSE results.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson apologised for the distress caused, as he announced the shock u-turn on Monday. While that decision was welcomed, many students are still waiting to hear if it will allow them to attend university.
Charlotte Walker-Prosser, 19, was expecting two As, but awarded a B and a C. The former Loreto Grammar School pupil, from Cheadle Hulme, was due to resit two of her A-Levels after she didn’t achieve the grades she wanted last year.
She is still waiting to find out what Monday’s announcement means for her, but hopes it will land her a place at Sheffield University.
“I am still waiting at the moment but I think it should be good news,” she said.
Charlotte said the grades sent off for moderation had to be predicted from her old school grades, as she was a private candidate.
“Because I’ve been studying at home, they can’t acknowledge that I have done any work even though I have done loads of tests this year and have got constant As one after another”, she said.
“The whole thing has just been so stressful. It has not been handled well. I am still angry because I still don’t know if I will be able to go to university in September or not. For private candidates it has been extremely tough.”
Stockport MP Navendu Mishra said it was a “humiliating” u-turn for the government.
“This has been an incredibly distressing period for students, their families and teachers, and the unfortunate reality is that this welcome news has come too late for thousands of pupils who will already have missed out on their first choice or insurance university offer,” he said.
“Questions remain about why the government’s controversial algorithm policy was used in the first place and why it took a further four days to act once the results were published. The buck stops with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and he should now be seriously considering his position. His apology is far from satisfactory and provides little solace to those whose futures have been shattered by his failures.”
Mr Williamson apologised to students and parents affected by “significant inconsistencies” with grading. He said: “This has been an extraordinarily difficult year for young people who were unable to take their exams. We worked with Ofqual to construct the fairest possible model, but it is clear that the process of allocating grades has resulted in more significant inconsistencies than can be resolved through an appeals process.”
Ofqual chairman Roger Taylor also apologised.