VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE IN EXAMS FIASCO
Government U-turn on A-levels and GCSEs
RELIEVED youngsters will have their A-level and GCSE grades boosted after Boris Johnson finally ordered a U-turn.
The Prime Minister told Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to scrap the algorithm used instead of this summer’s exams following a deafening outcry. Instead, teachers’ predictions will decide hundreds of thousands of pupils’ final grades. The dramatic turnaround was announced by regulator Ofqual
just three days before GCSE results are released on Thursday.
It followed furious accusations of unfairness from pupils, parents and teachers.
The teenagers can now opt to accept their predicted grade as their A-level result. Thursday’s GCSE results will also be based on teacher forecasts.
Apologising to school and college pupils, Mr Williamson said: “I am sorry for the distress this has caused young people and their parents but hope this announcement will now provide the certainty and reassurance they deserve.
“For me, as someone who went to state school, went to college, I know how important it is to address the concerns.
“I am not going to sit by and see injustices done, I’m going to take action. That’s what I’ve done, it’s the right thing to do.”
The grades fiasco has left him fighting to keep his Cabinet job, with one Tory MP urging his removal in a reshuffle.
Mr Williamson’s climbdown was seen as acutely embarrassing after he repeatedly insisted ministers would not follow Scotland in accepting teacher predictions.
Breaking off from the first day of his summer holiday north of the border, the Prime Minister held a conference call with top education officials before speaking ordering the Education Secretary to retreat.
A Whitehall source said: “It became obvious over the last 24 hours that the algorithm used by Ofqual was fundamentally flawed.
“It’s been a very difficult situation but we have acted to sort this out in time for the announcement of GCSE results this week.”
The Government U-turn followed a massive revolt among Conservative MPs, including senior backbenchers and Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt.
Tory Robert Halfon, who chairs the Commons education select committee, said: “There clearly need to be serious questions asked about what on earth has gone on.”
Former minister George Freeman said: “This has been a total shambles. And for anyone with one foot outside the department in the real world it looked completely obvious what should have been done.
“Ultimately, the Prime Minister is in charge. And I think he will to take firm control of this and get a grip and show that his Government is taking the life chances of a generation of children seriously.”
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “I’m sorry it’s taken us a long time to get there but I’m relieved this has been resolved ahead of the GCSE results.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “The Government has had months to sort out exams and has now been forced into a screeching U-turn after days of confusion.
“This is a victory for the thousands of young people who have powerfully made their voices heard this past week.”
Figures show nearly 40 per cent of students – around 280,000 – were awarded lower grades than predicted by their teachers thanks to a computer programme devised to stop grade inflation in the Covid19 exam cancellation.
Disadvantaged pupils appeared to be affected most – further education colleges saw far bigger grade reductions than private schools.
Apologising for the “uncertainty and anxiety” caused by the debawant cle, Ofqual chairman Roger Taylor said: “Our goal has always been to protect the trust the public rightly has in educational qualifications.
“But we recognise that while the approach we adopted attempted to achieve these goals we also appreciate it has also caused real anguish and damaged public confidence.
“Expecting schools to submit appeals where grades were incorrect placed a burden on teachers when they need to be preparing for the new term and has created uncertainty and anxiety for students. For all of that we are extremely sorry.”
Dr Mary Bousted, of the National Education Union, said: “Students and their teachers have endured days of completely unnecessary stress and worry.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “School leaders and teachers worked with professionalism and integrity to submit these grades for all of their students.
“Having taken so long to make a decision, this was the only option that the Government had left to deal with the unfairness.”