Gavin Williamson has sent a letter to Simon Lebus, Ofqual’s chief regulator, which outlines the process to agree alternative arrangements for exams in 2021
Commenting on the education secretary’s letter to Ofqual setting out further detail on the arrangements for replacing exams, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The education secretary’s letter sets out broad and sensible parameters for assessing GCSEs and A-levels following the cancellation of exams but, as ever, the devil will be in the detail of how this is turned into reality.
“We are relieved to see confirmation that no algorithm will be applied this year following last summer’s grading debacle.
“One of the key issues, however, will be precisely how any system of externally set assessment would work and how this can be done in a way that ensures fairness for students who have been heavily disrupted by the pandemic.
“It is vital that the final plans not only provide fairness and consistency but that they are also workable for schools, colleges and teaching staff who will have to put them into practice.
“We look forward to engaging in the forthcoming consultation and we will do everything possible to support this process.”
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The principle of trusting teachers rather than algorithms is absolutely the right one to take. The fact that the government originally did not do so last summer was what caused upset and chaos for students. However, there is little detail as of yet as to how this trust will actually manifest itself – and actions speak louder than words.
“Had the government listened to the NEU and put in place a contingency plan sooner we would be in a better position now to make sure grades could be awarded reliably and without creating severe workload issues for education staff and students. We will continue to talk with Ofqual, DfE and awarding bodies to make sure education staff’s voices are heard but we need to see the full details of the process as soon as possible in order to be assured that grades will be fair for all and that it will be manageable for school and college staff, and students.”
