Coronavirus: Reject GCSE and A-level exams, Labor says

Next year’s A-level and GCSE exams in England should be delayed until mid-summer to help deal with the impact of the coronavirus, Labor has said.

Shadow education secretary Kate Green said students who start Years 11 and 13 in September have “a mountain to climb” as they have missed months of schooling.

Exams scheduled for May should take place until July to allow more recovery time, he added.

The government said it would “consider” its approach, but the reviews would go ahead.

Chaos haunted the testing system this year, leaving teachers, parents, and students calling for a major reconsideration of next summer’s testing.

Nearly 40% of the A-level grades awarded to students fell short of teachers’ predictions, and disadvantaged students were particularly affected.

Days after the results were announced, and following widespread criticism, the government took a 180-degree turn and decided to base grades on teachers’ estimates.

But many students were left in limbo, as college slots were lost for this year’s admission.

The GCSE and A-level exams are expected to take place normally next year, but Ms. Green said, “Students across the country who have missed vital teaching time will have a mountain to climb to prepare for the May exams unless government intervenes.

“The ministers received warning after warning about problems with this year’s test results, but allowed it to slip into a fiasco.”

He added: “Students going back to school need clarity and certainty about next year.”

‘Post delay’

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said the Labor plan was “worthy of serious consideration.”

But he added: “A delay is not without its problems. A consequent delay in the publication of results will put pressure on higher education providers, such as universities and colleges, as well as on employers.”

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Robert Halfon, who chairs the Commons Select Committee on Education, said there was only a “50:50” chance that the A-level and GCSE exams would take place next summer, a despite the government’s promise.

He told the Sunday Times that test regulator Ofqual should set a deadline in October to decide whether to cancel tests and instead base grades once again on teacher evaluations.

Calls to delay exams come as millions of children must return to classrooms in England and Wales this week. Schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland have already reopened.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “Getting all children back to their classrooms full time in September is a national priority as they are the best place for their education, development and well-being.

“We recognize that students who are required to take exams next summer will have experienced disruptions in their education, so we prioritize having Year 10 and Year 12 students return to school in the last term.

“The exams will take place next year and we have been working closely with the industry, Ofqual and the exam boards to consider our approach.”

School principals have said they are willing to welcome students to the school full time, with a number of measures being implemented, such as staggered breaks and increased cleaning.

But school leaders have warned that their budgets have been stretched by the pandemic to such an extent that they have to weigh the safety of students against their finances, The Guardian reports.

Additional cleaning, personal protective equipment, the installation of hand washing stations and signs, in addition to the purchase of laptops for remote work, are among the Covid-related expenses incurred by schools, they told the newspaper directors and unions.

Meanwhile, a survey of almost 6,000 school staff in England has revealed that 86% believe that it will not be possible to maintain a social distance with both students and staff.

Tes’s survey found that 66% feared that orientation to avoid busy hallways, entrances and exits was unrealistic.

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