Call for funding to cover costs of Covid disruption

DEVON’S education chief has said he fears there will be further disruption and changes to how exams in 2021 run as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and has called for more financial support for schools facing extra costs.

More generous grading, advance notice of exam topics and additional papers have been promised by the Department for Education (DfE) to make up for the disruption faced by students resulting from Covid restrictions.

Those who cannot sit exams due to self-isolation rules will still get a grade, while extra measures to “boost fairness and support students” have been announced.

Cllr James McInnes, cabinet member for schools, said that he was pleased the Government had recognised the effect the pandemic has on education and the disruption at school, but he felt down the road things will change further.

He told councillors: “The Council has, since the start of the Autumn term, been asking the DfE for further information relating to both GCSE exams and end of Key Stage assessments. The Government has stated that GCSE exams should go ahead and that exam boards have been asked to give consideration to the content. It is not yet known what those considerations will look like.

“The DfE have stated they are working closely with stakeholders on a comprehensive set of measures that will ensure exams can be held and students will have the best possible opportunity to do themselves justice. Schools have said they must have certainty about contingency arrangements and what further measures will be put in place to ensure that these exams will be fair to pupils in light of the huge disruption to learning caused by Covid.”

He added: “My personal view is that I think further going down the road, they will change further, and I am concerned that we have to look to what it will be like for children taking exams this year, for their careers, and what their exam results will mean, so we will be pressing government for every tiny detail of the broad announcements.”

Cllr McInnes said that he was continuing to press Government for extra financial help to compensate for the extra costs of Covid.

He said: “As well as helping children catch up with their learning after the first lockdown, they’ve been confronted with the huge task of making schools as safe as possible for children to return. And they’ve been juggling with cases of Covid in both staff and children and organising for bubbles and, in some cases, whole year groups to self-isolate.

“On top of that, they’ve had to reorganise timetables in some cases and arrange for supply cover. That places a tremendous pressure on them and obviously adds to their costs.”

In a letter to Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, he said: “The National Association of Head Teachers says that in just the first few weeks of term, schools have spent an average of £8,017 on enhanced cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, hand-washing stations and other measures.”

“No one is disputing that the costs of this pandemic will not have to be paid for in time but I would urge you, as Education Secretary, to ensure our schools have the resources they need.”

Cllr Rob Hannaford, leader of the Labour group, said: “Schools and colleges must be supported financially during the current pandemic and must have confidence that all additional coronavirus-related costs will be reimbursed.”