SNP ‘IN A PANIC’ OVER EXAMS
Ministers fear repeat of last year’s protests over downgrading despite revised system
PUPILS across Scotland will start to receive their crucial exam results this week, sparking fears there could be a repeat of last year’s mass protests over the marking debacle.
The Scottish Government is said by insiders to be in ‘a state of panic’ over the imminent release of grades for key qualifications such as National 5s and Highers.
In normal years, all pupils are told their grades on a single results day in August.
However, because traditional exams were this year replaced with teacher assessments, pupils will get their results on a school by school basis from tomorrow until the end of term.
Ministers are understood to be worried that the announcement of results could either lead to a rush of appeals or even angry protests.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville recently attracted criticism for her hardline approach to appeals, insisting that pupils would be allowed to contest their results, but that grades could be lowered as well as raised.
She was accused of ignoring the personal circumstances which might have adversely affected a pupil’s performance such as bereavement, illness or self-isolation.
Speculation is now growing that pupils
‘Do they wait for kids on the streets before they look at it?’
who are unhappy with their results, but afraid that appealing could leave them worse off, could take to the streets as they did last year.
Last summer’s infamous awarding process sparked a storm of protest after it emerged an algorithm had unfairly lowered 124,000 grades awarded by teachers.
That led to a Scottish Government U-turn which saw the original awards restored.
Last night well-placed insiders said the Government appeared fearful of a repeat of last year which saw young people mount public protests to force a rethink.
One said: ‘The rows keep rumbling on, especially around appeals.
‘The official line is that Ministers have listened to all the concerns, but that the decision is made. The issue is whether the stance on appeals is sustainable – and Ministers wilted under the pressure last year.
‘There is now a state of panic within government.
‘Parliament’s going into recess – but do they wait for kids on the streets, protesting outside SQA headquarters or in George Square, before they look at it?
‘They don’t like being unpopular, and have a record of bending under pressure, so it depends how sustained that pressure is.
‘If it continues from political parties and experts – but particularly if young people got organised – the pressure might be too much.
‘The most likely change would be on the no detriment issue and exceptional circumstances – say(SQA) ing if you appeal, your grades won’t be downgraded would take some of the heat off.’
The nationwide results for this year will be disclosed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority on August 10. However, schools are expected to inform candidates of the grades they have achieved before the end of term.
All Scottish local authorities were contacted by The Scottish
Mail on Sunday about when results would be handed out.
Responses show some candidates can expect to receive their provisional results as soon as tomorrow, with some in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire expected to be among the first.
Some pupils in East Ayrshire, Highland, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk and Moray should also start to receive results this week.
Other local authorities follow, and while some have yet to confirm a date, all are expected to have informed pupils by the end of term.
The results must also be submitted to the SQA by June 25, following quality assurance checking locally and sampling of work by the exam quango.
While they are referred to as provisional, the SQA has said it will not change pupils’ results except in circumstances where, for example, an administrative error resulted in the wrong grade being submitted.
Pupils can register an intention to appeal from June 25 on the SQA website until August 12.