Testing times

Unusually this year’s A-level and GCSE results are being published in the same week, emblematic of the exceptional circumstances caused by the pandemic and the closure of schools. Extra time has been given for any appeals to be lodged.

Today, older pupils will receive their grades which are based entirely on teacher assessments of term work and mock tests. The use last year of an algorithm to determine the results caused such a political storm that it has not been repeated. Ofqual, the body which oversees exams in England, insists that the exercise will produce an accurate reflection of achievement. Indeed, Simon Lebus, head of the regulator, indicated that he considered this approach to be superior to exams “which are a bit like a snapshot … whereas teacher assessment allows teachers to observe student performance over a much longer period.”

Be that as it may, the pandemic cannot be allowed to herald exams’ demise and certainly not of A-levels. Although there is an option to sit exams in the autumn, the Government should commit to their full return next year. Without the benchmark they offer, the universities are in an impossible position in trying to select students for their courses.

Then again, the universities are not currently offering the education to which students are entitled for fees of £9,250 a year. Many are refusing to bring back face-to-face teaching and are instructing students to socially distance and wear masks on campus despite government advice that they can lift all restrictions.

If they insist on treating their students in this way, why should they receive the full tuition fees?