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Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, faces increasing pressure from the schools fiasco after being forced to decline in vocational BTec exams this month as he works out new plans to replace the GCSE and A-level exams. canceled this summer.
Following calls from university leaders, Labor leaders and mayors of Liverpool and Greater Manchester to halt vocational exams, the Department of Education (DfE) issued a statement Tuesday night offering universities flexibility to decide for themselves.
The DfE statement said: “In light of the evolution of public health measures, schools and universities can continue with the technical and vocational examinations that must be carried out in January, when they deem it correct.
“We understand this is a difficult time, but we want to support schools and universities whose students have worked hard to prepare for assessments and exams when necessary.”
The reversal came just a day after the DfE insisted to school leaders that testing should continue, despite the nationwide lockdown ordered by Boris Johnson this week.
David Hughes, Executive Director of the Association of Colleges (AoC), said: “The risk is that this will continue the confusion, create more uncertainty for each student and put thousands of young people and their families, as well as staff at risk. the university manage the exams. “
He added: “A national decision would have allowed for greater equity for all students in all professional and overall qualifications; this compromise does not accomplish that and I suspect it will cause further problems in the coming months. We are likely to see the cancellation of many universities and some will go ahead. “
Williamson will confirm to MPs on Wednesday that the A-level and GCSE exams will be canceled, but there is a possibility that formal assessments will continue to be used in core subjects.
Williamson will say in a statement to the Commons that it has directed English testing regulator Ofqual to draw up a new contingency plan to replace this year’s summer test series.
One of the options being considered is taking assessments or class assignments established by the examination boards in core subjects such as English and mathematics, which will be held in March or April. The results will be used to moderate school evaluations of students’ final grades.
Ofqual will conduct a quick consultation on the use of assessments to address concerns about implicit bias in school assessments.
A DfE spokesperson said: “We will continue to work with Ofqual, providing organizations and other stakeholders to discuss next steps and provide more details on the way forward, including ensuring that other students have a way to progress with the least disruption possible. . “
Ofqual said he was considering a number of options: “We know how difficult this must be for students, teachers and lecturers. We wish at all costs to avoid the arrangements for this summer’s GCSEs, A-levels, and vocational and technical grades that inflict a greater disadvantage on students. “
Williamson’s fall at BTecs comes as he faces mounting criticism, with the Conservative Commons education committee chairman Robert Halfon denouncing the government’s run of the schools as “a major disaster,” and the former head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw, adding his voice to those who criticize the minister, suggesting that he should resign because of his failures.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One, Wilshaw said that the education secretary had made a lot of mistakes and should take responsibility for his actions: “It makes other people resign: permanent secretaries and the director of Ofqual. You have to take final responsibility for what has happened. “
Earlier Tuesday, Labor had asked for the vocational tests to be canceled. Toby Perkins, Shadow Minister of Learning and Lifelong Learning, said: “Once again, the BTec students who have missed much of their basic practical teaching this year are an afterthought for this government.”
A joint statement by the Mayor of the Liverpool region, Steve Rotheram, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “BTecs are more likely to be studied by people of working-class origin and ethnic minority communities, groups that they are already more vulnerable in terms of their life outcomes, including health inequalities. Not treating these students on par with their peers studying an academic path would be a double injustice.
There was confusion on the ground between students and teachers. Glyn Potts, director of Newman Roman Catholic College in Oldham, said that about 80 of his 11-year-old students were required to sit at BTecs in iMedia and sports science. “Why are summer exams considered essential but not?” he said, adding that the issue was causing “great anxiety” to students and parents, as well as teachers.
Ben Davis, principal of St Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic High School in Salford, said: “Children are supposed to do BTecs in music on Thursday and in physical education on Monday: 75 students in years 10 and 11 on Monday.
“Reading the government advice, which arrived at 10.50pm last night, it becomes very clear that only vulnerable children and key child workers should be on site. So there is something to reconcile there, ”he said.
