Commenting on reports that some schools are bringing pupils
onsite to compete mock examinations or other assessments, Dr
Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT – The Teachers’
Union said:
“The Government has been clear that schools are open only for the
children of key workers and for those pupils who have been
identified as vulnerable.
“Therefore, it beggars belief that some pupils are being required
to travel to school to complete mock examinations and other
assessments to support the process of producing centre assessed
GCSE and A-level grades for exam boards. Ofqual and the
Department for Education have confirmed that there is no need for
any additional assessment material to be produced to support this
process and that examination centres must act in accordance with
Government instructions. Such practices must cease immediately.
“The UK is currently in the midst of a public health emergency
and attention has rightly been drawn to those individuals who are
putting their lives and those of others at risk by ignoring the
measures that the Government has put in place. While the vast
majority of schools are behaving sensibly in this respect, it is
profoundly disturbing that some have decided that the lockdown
provisions that apply to everyone else shall not apply to them.
“The NASUWT urges all parents to ignore any requests for their
children to attend school to undertake a mock examination or
other assessment and to report any such requests to the
Department for Education directly. The Union will also intervene
robustly to protect any of its members who are instructed by
their employer to participate in such reckless and wholly
unnecessary activity.”
