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Students take part in a protest in Leeds following the government’s U-turn over the calculated quality system
The Secretary of Education has been urged to launch a review on the treatment of A-level and GCSE results after examinations were canceled due to coronavirus.
A union for education leaders, such as head teachers, says it will write to Gavin Williamson about the “fiasco”.
Mr. Williamson apologized to students after reversing how A levels and GCSEs are assessed, after heavy criticism.
Meanwhile, students will receive GCSE results on Thursday as planned, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) said.
The confirmation comes amid confusion over how the results day would go after the government’s U-turn.
Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the JCQ’s confirmation would be a ‘great relief’ to all concerned.
The government’s decision to give A-level and GCSE students degrees, estimated by their teachers, instead of through an algorithm, means that tens of thousands of A-level students may now have the degrees to act until their first- choice university offers.
It has raised concerns about the number of places available, with top universities warning that students who now have higher degrees may still be asked to drop out if there is no space left on their chosen course.
And uncertainty remains for students as the admissions service, Ucas, and individual universities have yet to gain access to the upgraded results.
Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said problems could arise due to problems with “capacity, staffing, placements and facilities – in particular with social distance measures in place”.
University Minister Michelle Donelan said she wanted to take care of any students who had accepted a ‘different course’ than planned, as a result of which they were downgraded last week, would ‘be able to change their minds and reverse that decision’.
She said No. 10 worked with universities to help “increase the available capacity” to “minimize the amount of students that will be put off.”
Senior Tory-MP Huw Merriman suggested students could be compensated with reduced tuition costs.
“For the cohort that comes to the university, I think it’s all about making it up to them and saying ‘we understand you’ve been through this past week,'” he told the BBC’s PM program.
Analyze
By Hannah Richardson, BBC Education Reporter
There is still doubt as to whether the education system will do well through the Covid Class.
Will their chosen universities be able to satisfy them? Or have they already given away their degree? Will they have to come back next year and fight it out with students who miss even more school?
And for the first time since this aging journalist of education can remember, exam boards are not keeping their usual mind-boggling briefing on GCSE results.
That for a while at least there will be no details on how the nation has done in its general school certificate exams.
Roll at the beginning of term – although that is not certain either.
Hundreds of thousands of children in the UK have their education disrupted by the pandemic after schools, colleges and daycare centers were closed in March – resulting in the cancellation of all assessments and examinations.
The ASCL – which is writing the letter to Mr Williamson – said a review was urgently needed to “what went wrong” with the grading system.
“This degree of transparency is necessary at a time when public confidence is being shaken,” said ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton.
Mr. Barton also called no. 10 and Ofqual to implement a “robust contingency plan” for students taking GCSEs and A levels next summer in the event of further coronavirus restriction.
Student stories: Frances and Zainab
Both Frances Ramos (left) and Zainab Ali were not sure if they would get their university seats for the first choices, despite their degrees being promoted
Frances Ramos, 18, from Towcester, Northamptonshire, said she was happy to give her predicted degrees from ABB – up from the BCD she received last Thursday.
But she said the U-turn “feels like it’s a little late” and added: “I wish the kind the government had done this on Thursday.” They are now waiting to hear if their first choice, the University of Liverpool, will accept them to study this year.
Zainab Ali, 18, from London, also thought the government should act sooner. “I find it regrettable. After the damage is done, that is when they will take action and I find it quite frustrating,” she said.
The U-turn should now mean that Zainab can attend Queen Mary University, London.
- Students relief and annoyance after A-level U-turn
The University and College Union (UCU) and National Union of Students (NUS) have also written to the Secretary of Education, urging no. 10 to help students who have missed their first-choice courses and request financial support for the higher education sector.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said staff faced “unbearable workloads” due to the fallout on exam results.
She added that “substantial financial support” was needed “so that universities can protect all jobs, welcome students safely and continue to provide world-class learning and research”.
And Mrs Grady criticized Mr Williamson’s decision to suspend a cap on university student numbers – effectively allowing institutions to accept unlimited numbers this year – because she said it meant “certain universities could hoard students’ finances. save other settings “.
Despite the cap being lifted, some universities have said figures should remain limited, especially on vocational courses such as medicine and dentistry.
Ucas could not say how many students were unable to take places because their results were downgraded.
Earlier, Mr Williamson said he was “incredibly sorry for the need” caused to students.
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Mr. Williamson said it had been the general view of the government, Exam regulator Ofqual, and the divergent administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland – from various political parties – that the system was instead more robust and “significantly better” than in Scotland, after a former U-turn in Scotland.
But after the release of A-level results on Thursday, he said it was “becoming increasingly clear that there were too many young people who simply did not get the degree they really deserved”.
Mr Williamson’s critics have called for him to resign, but there are several reasons why he has not yet received a P45 minister, says Iain Watson, the BBC’s political correspondent.
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Mr. Williamson would not say whether he offered his resignation to Prime Minister Boris Johnson during interviews on Tuesday
Ofqual’s algorithm came under fire after data showed that its downgrading of about 40% of A – level degrees in England had affected more than state schools than private institutions.
Ministers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales all decided on Monday – four days after A-level results were issued – to return to assessed grades of teacher as the algorithm.
- NI: Remember meeting about exam results to continue
- Wales: Exam board board ‘disappointed’ by grade U-turn
The U-turn means that teacher ratings are also used for all GCSE results – except for any student for whom the algorithm gives a higher grade.
Exam board Pearson, which awards BTecs, said the results of students who were downgraded through the graduation process – only about 0.5% of teachers – would be checked on “case-by-case” basis “with their colleges.
A Pearson spokesman added that it was aware of delays in some students getting their results and worked with schools and colleges to deliver postponed as soon as possible.
- BTec students: ‘We have already forgotten’
Timeline: changing position of the government
- August 11: Gavin Williamson announced that A-level students could use their results in mock tests to appeal if they are not happy with the degrees they receive, calling it a “safety net”. Earlier in the day, the Scottish Government decided to switch to the predictive levels of teachers
- August 12: Nick Gibb, England’s minister for schools, acknowledged that the government was “concerned” about what was happening in Scotland, but insisted the system remained “robust” in England
- Thursday 13 August (results day): Mr. Williamson called for the Scottish Government to be followed in the opposite position, telling Sky News: “You need to have a system that has controls and balance”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the results were a “robust set of degrees”
- Saturday: Mr. Williamson told the Times there would be “no U-turn” on the rating system, saying Scotland ended up with “a system where there are no controls” and had “rampant grade inflation”.
- Sunday: Mr. Williamson defends Ofqual’s rating method in the Sunday Express, saying the calculated rank “makes sure everyone can be sure that these qualifications carry the same weight as previous years”
- Monday: Mr. Williamson announces a move to teacher-grade grades for A-levels and GCSES saying “we now believe it’s better”
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