Backlash as PM puts blame on ‘ mutant algorithm’
Senior official loses his job over exams fiasco
BORIS JOHNSON was accused of ducking personal responsibility for the exams fiasco after sacking the senior official at the Department for Education and blaming the debacle on a “mutant algorithm”.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the stress caused by the situation – which eventually resulted in a U- turn with A- level and GCSE grades in England awarded based on teachers’ assessments rather than the algorithm.
The Department for Education announced that permanent secretary Jonathan Slater will stand down because “the Prime Minister has concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership”.
The announcement came a day after Sally Collier resigned from her role as head of exams regulator Ofqual.
Dave Penman, leader of the FDA union which represents senior public servants, said: “If it wasn’t clear before, then it certainly is now – this administration will throw civil service leaders under a bus without a moment’s hesitation to shield Ministers from any kind of accountability.”
Relations between Number 10 and Whitehall have been strained, with Mr Johnson’s senior aide Dominic Cummings
backing a major the civil service.
Mr Penman said: “After this Government’s continuous anonymous briefings to the press, trust between Ministers and civil servants is already at an all- time low and this will only damage it further.”
Education mandarin Mr Slater will stand down on September 1, in advance of the end of his tenure in spring 2021.
Susan Acland- Hood, currently interim second permanent secretary, will take over as acting permanent secretary. shake- up of
The Prime Minister addressed pupils at a school in Coalville, Leicestershire, yesterday.
He acknowledged that the exams situation had been “stressful” for those awaiting A- level and GCSE results.
“I’m afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm,” he told them.
“I know how stressful that must have been for pupils up and down the country. I’m very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out.”
Mr Johnson had previously claimed that the algorithm- based
grades would be “robust” and “dependable”. Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green said: “Boris Johnson is shamelessly trying to avoid taking responsibility for the exams fiasco that his Government created.
She continued: “Responsibility for this shambles lies squarely with Downing Street and the Department for Education, who set out how they wanted the algorithm to work and were warned weeks in advance of issues, but repeatedly refused to address the problems they had created.”
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