The Education Secretary has confirmed the details of this summer’s examinations to Parliament this morning.

In a statement Gavin Williamson said that “the end is very clearly in sight” for the coronavirus lockdown, with pupils due to return to classrooms from 8 March.

Concerning the awarding of this summer’s  A-level, GCSE and technical and vocational qualifications he said that the  government’s priority was to “make sure every student has the best possible chance to show what they know and can do”.

He confirmed that students will receive grades as assessed by their teachers, using a range of evidence including coursework, in-class tests and questions provided by exam boards.

Schools will be provided with guidance on how to use these “fairly and also consistently”, and tere will also be an extended appeals process and – unlike last summer – there will be no algorithm used to moderate grades.

“Grades will be awarded on the basis of teachers’ judgement and will only ever be changed by human intervention,” the education secretary added.

“Through the allocation of grades this summer, “young people will be able to look forward to the next stage of their lives with confidence”. he finished by saying

In reply Shadow Education spokesman and Manchester MP Kate Green accused Gavin Williamson of being “slow to act”.

“He now he claims to have solved the problem,” she says, but adds guidance from exam boards won’t be available until the spring term, leaving students and teachers facing more “uncertainty”.

“He blamed a rogue algorithm for last year’s fiasco – but the real cause of the chaos was not an algorithm – it was his incompetence,So now for the first time he says he trusts teachers… when there is a chance to make them responsible for what happens with exams rather than his department.”

 

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