Exam process ‘in crisis’ says city councillor
GLASGOW City Council will be urged to declare a “lack of confidence” in the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) next week. Labour councillor Aileen McKenzie is set to put forward a motion at Thursday’s council meeting which claims the ‘alternative certification model’ being used to issue students’ grades is in crisis. She said the appeals system could see grades lowered and does not consider “exceptional personal circumstances”.
National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams were scrapped this year due to the impact of Covid-19, with grades to be based on teacher judgement and evidence of attainment.
But Cllr McKenzie said pupils “have sat exams all but in name”, with “assessments of the year’s course under exam conditions to provide evidence to the SQA that the estimated grade is accurate”.
She added: “Now, worryingly, teachers are being advised to base their estimated grade on historical data from the school they teach in, which is essentially marking down children’s grades based on their predecessors’ achievements and sadly this will impact the pupils in the highest areas of deprivation the most.”
An SQA spokesman said the approach “gives schools the flexibility to assess learners at a time and in a way that suits their personal circumstances”.
He added “knowingly” misrepresenting this approach causes “unnecessary distress” to learners.
Cllr McKenzie’s motion, if passed, would mean a letter would be sent to the Scottish Government demanding a no-detriment policy is introduced to the appeals process and expressing the council’s lack of confidence in the SQA.
She said: “The appeals process should take into consideration work and assessments submitted while schools were in lockdown and pupils were working from home, and establish an exceptional personal circumstance criteria for appeals, for example if a pupil has lost a loved one to Covid-19.”