Will anyone accept blame for exam mess?

IT is the greatest educational scandal in Scottish political history – but it seems that no one is actually willing to accept any responsibility.

The head of Scotland’s beleaguered exams agency yesterday offered a wellworn and implausible excuse for the debacle over this year’s results.

But Fiona Robertson’s claim that she was only following orders will ring hollow for the many thousands of young Scots pupils who were affected.

It’s true that the boss of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) – earning up to £129,000 a year – was under pressure when exams were called off. But when she was questioned by MSPs yesterday, there wasn’t a hint of contrition from Mrs Robertson.

Stubbornly refusing to say sorry to pupils, or indeed teachers, she held firm and blamed Education Secretary John Swinney, who had set her the task of assessing pupils’ performance in the absence of exams.

Mrs Robertson did express ‘regret’ over ‘how young people have felt about this process’ – but that doesn’t quite cut it when so many futures were at stake.

For his part, Mr Swinney – who was given a ‘fulsome’ briefing by the SQA chief on the agency’s methodology on July 30 – has apologised, but will not resign.

It’s an unedifying spectacle and yet – despite the determination of officialdom to draw a veil over the mess – there are still unresolved questions about why on earth this shambles was allowed to unfold in the first place.

As a result of application deadlines, it’s likely that some youngsters will still miss out on a university place, a rank injustice that suggests Mr Swinney hasn’t entirely succeeded in undoing the damage caused by his own gross incompetence.

Nicola Sturgeon, meanwhile, is standing by her Education Secretary, and it seems likely he will survive a no confidence vote at Holyrood today – with help from his spineless allies in the Scottish Greens.

They talked tough before Mr Swinney attempted to fix the problems he had created. But, as always, propping up the SNP – rather than holding it to account – is the top priority of the Greens.

If he had any integrity, Mr Swinney would have quit by now.

Instead he clings on to his job while faith in the education system – and his leadership of it – rapidly drains away.