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It was a “fundamental mistake” to believe that a controversial algorithm initially used for A-level and GCSE results would be “ever acceptable to the public,” said the director of the test body.
Roger Taylor, the president of Ofqual, launched a full-throated defense of the role of the body in the exam fiasco during an appearance in front of MPs.
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He told the select committee on education that the body advised the government not to cancel the exams this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ofqual suggested to the Secretary of Education, Gavin Williamson, that they be carried out in a “socially detached” manner due to COVID-19Taylor added.
Taylor told MPs that the situation “was rapidly spiraling out of control” and that Williamson was proposing policies that “were not consistent with our legal obligations.”
The education secretary has resisted calls to resign over the dispute, but told Sky News last month that he “deeply regrets the anguish” caused to the students.
He said that until the day of the A-level results he had “every confidence” that the algorithm would not penalize disadvantaged students.
But over the following weekend, when he said that “it became clear that there were anomalies,” the government took a 180-degree turn and reverted to using planned teacher qualifications for A and GCSE levels.
When the results were published, it was revealed that almost 40% of A-level grades had been downgraded in England.
The system also appeared to benefit private schools, which saw nearly double increases in top grades year-over-year compared to state schools.
Boris Johnson was accused of “blatantly trying to avoid taking responsibility” for the debacle after blaming the “mutant” algorithm.
The prime minister had previously defended the system, describing the ratings given to students as “robust” and “reliable.”
