Be realistic on ‘scrap summer exams’ call

BORIS Johnson said people will have to be “realistic” about the impact of the new coronavirus variant, amid calls by a large group of headteachers for GCSE and A-level exams to be scrapped this summer.

It comes amid chaos over plans for reopening schools this month due to the Covid-19 crisis, and concerns about the fairness of any exams which could be held.

Asked whether exams should be cancelled, the Prime Minister told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One: “We’ve got to be realistic, we’ve got to be realistic about the pace at which this new variant has spread, we’ve got to be realistic about the impact that it’s having on our NHS, and we’ve got to be humble in the face of this virus.”

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insists the summer national exams must still go ahead.

But more than 2,000 headteachers, from the campaign group WorthLess? say pupils, parents and teachers should not be put at risk of contracting Covid for the sake of protecting exam timetables.