First minister, Nicola Sturgeon has issued an apology following disputes over examination results in Scotland.
An estimated 124,000 exams were downgraded, rejecting the initial grade recommendations from teachers. The first minister noted that the present approach was too focused on the “overall system” at the expense of individual pupils.
Exams were cancelled across the UK this year as a result of the
pandemic, instead relying on teacher-based assessments to indicate final
grades.
It is expected that education secretary, John Swinney, will set out the government’s plan to resolve the issue today, while Sturgeon has stated that it will not be the responsibility of pupils to appeal their results. Opposition parties are pushing for a vote of no confidence in Swinney; however, the first minister has said that the debate is "not party political" and that she has faith in the education minister.
A-level results will be released in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on Thursday. Boris Johnson has said that he understands the “anxiety” surrounding grades, and that "we will do our best to ensure that the hard work of pupils is properly reflected".
The Scottish system has come under fire for the reduction in the pass rate for Highers – reduced by 15.2 per cent in the least affluent areas, and 6.9 per cent in the most.
In a statement, the first minister said: "Our concern, which was to make sure the grades young people got were as valid as in any other year, perhaps led us to think too much about the overall system and not enough about the individual pupil.”
"Despite our best intentions I do acknowledge that we did not get this right and I am sorry for that."
Sturgeon concluded that she would "ensure that every young person gets a grade that recognises the work they have done".
