Anger over GCSE marking ‘cover-up’
1 in 5 will get a top grade today as results manipulated
‘A certificate in incompetence’
ONE in five entries has been awarded a top grade in the new GCSEs after results were manipulated to make sure no one is ‘disadvantaged’ by the tougher content.
As hundreds of thousands of pupils travel to their schools today to pick up their results, regulators are being accused of ‘covering up the true marks’.
Watchdog Ofqual told exam boards to set grade boundaries low to make sure around 20 per cent of entries get at least a grade 7 – roughly the equivalent of the old A.
Around two thirds will get at least a 4 – which is aligned with the old C. In some courses, for example the higher tier maths paper for brighter pupils, entrants may be required to get only around half the marks to get a 7, or 17 per cent to get 4.
This year, GCSE students were the first to sit new exams in most mainstream subjects, with the courses containing much more challenging content.
The changes, pioneered by former education secretary Michael Gove, were aimed at raising standards following years of grade inflation and ‘dumbing down’ under Labour. Because the courses are so much harder now, scores were expected to drop significantly. However, this will be masked following Ofqual’s demand for the proportions of high grades to match those of last year.
Chris McGovern, from the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘This is fraud. They are telling students they are good even if they are getting low marks. It is effectively a certificate in incompetence. It is unacceptable. It is a deliberate attempt to cover up the true marks. Ultimately we need the truth, and we need transparency.
‘If we are to raise standards to the same level as those of other highperforming countries we cannot be fixing the grades like this.’
Last year, three qualifications were sat in their new harder format – English literature, English language and maths. This year, a further 20 subjects were added.
The grade boundaries for the new exams were provided to schools yesterday, but they will only be officially published today.
Despite the assurances from Ofqual that the majority of GCSE entries will get a 4, considered a ‘standard pass’, teachers were still complaining yesterday about how poor-performing students would not have their work credited.
Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘Our concern... is over those pupils at the other end of the scale who are taking exams which are harder than their predecessors and who have been told by the Government that a grade 4 is a “standard pass” and a grade 5 is a “strong pass”.
‘That is a very demoralising message to those who achieve grades 1, 2 and 3, and the new system does not work very well for them at all.
‘We need to find a better way to credit their achievements.’
The association’s misgivings appear to be shared by pupils, according to poll commissioned by the National Citizen Service.
It questioned 1,000 14 to 17-yearolds and found two thirds felt the new system would not represent their grades as well as it should.
The new exams will be graded 1 to 9, and will mean there is more differentiation at the top since grade 9 will be harder to get than the old A*.
Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier said today’s results will reflect the ‘considerable effort’ of schools and pupils. ‘Students picking up their results today can be confident they have achieved the grades their performance deserves. We have used the tried and tested principle of comparable outcomes to ensure standards are maintained. Senior examiners have reviewed papers to make sure the quality of work is appropriate to the grades awarded.’