Students are reporting a “striking” lack of consistency in the way grades have been awarded for this summer’s assessments, Labour has warned.
Speaking at the Festival of Education this morning, shadow education secretary Kate Green argued that the consequences of a government “failingto work with our education system” are “all too plainly visible”.
She warned of “another summer of exams chaos”, reporting that she had heard of a“lack of consistency” in grading, “not just from region to region, or school to school, but even within individual schools”, which is “really striking”and “concerning”.
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“Teachers are now desperate for a well-earned break as we approach the summer, but many are already apprehensive about this summer’s GCSE, A-level and VTQ [vocational and technical qualifications] results, as arestudents and their families,” she said.
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“Students have spent years working towards this point, but they fear that all of their hard work will be thrown into disarray in another summer of exams chaos that everyone -except, it seems, thegovernment -could see coming months ago.”
Ms Green accused the government of “exacerbating already all but unmanageable workloads” and of putting school staff “on the front line of a system that many fear will create distress and confrontation between teachers, students and parents”.
“While the government havesaid that they’re backing teachers and supporting them throughout the process,the reality is [teachers] have been left to carry the can for a system thatI am hugely worried cannot deliver fairness,” she said.
“I’ve heard too many reports from teachers and school leadersconcerned about enormous pressure coming from parents to change gradesif they’re not satisfied with the grade their child isawarded.
“I’ve heardstudents comparing notes about the different ways in which they’ve been assessed:the lack of consistency, not just from region to region, or school to school, but even within individual schools, is really striking and it’s concerning.
“Itcompounds the uneven learning experience that students have had over the last 15 months, as some parts of the country were hitagain and again by Covid restrictions, assome students were sent home again and again to isolate, andas some lacked the resources for effective home learning.”
Ms Green also challenged the education secretary to set out clearly what he will do “in the next month” to make the system for awarding next year’s grades “as fair as possible”.
She added: “To repeat the mistake of 2021, and wait until the week before January exams are due to begin to start the process of planning and consultation, would be unforgiveable.”
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said at the Festival of Education last week that he“completely”rejectedspeculation that grades this year will not be an accurate reflection of students’abilities.
“I know many of you will have been working so hard to ensure students get the grades that they deserve this year,” he said.
“But, like all of you, I’m aware of some speculation suggesting that grades this year will not be an accurate reflection of students’abilities.
“I want you to know that I completely reject these views. I back teachers. They know their students’capabilities and the quality of work they’re able to produce.”
