Commenting on a consultation about exams and assessments in 2021,
published today by Ofqual, Nansi Ellis, Assistant General
Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"The NEU is seriously concerned about the minimal suggestions
made in Ofqual’s proposals for exams in summer 2021. It is
welcome that the options for each subject have been considered
based on the nature of that subject, as opposed to suggesting
generic changes that may not suit each one. However in the
majority of subjects the expectation that the full specification
can be covered by next summer, after many months of lost teaching
time, still remains.
"This expectation is unrealistic – delaying exams by 2 or 3 weeks
next summer can’t make up for the months already lost, never mind
any further potential time that may be lost due to subsequent
waves of the virus or local spikes and lockdowns. The changes
suggested to help reduce some tasks which take up large amounts
of teaching hours sound generally helpful, but the Department for
Eduation and Ofqual need to go further with changes to exam
content otherwise they risk driving inequality in the system and
undermining the results awarded next summer.
"Also, the suggestion that because A-Level students are older
means that fewer changes are necessary suggests a lack of
understanding of the situation that many students face. If there
is a lack of access to computers, broadband or positive working
environments for an A-Level student at home, then the fact they
are a year or two older than their GCSE counterparts doesn’t mean
these barriers suddenly disappear.
"We will be conveying members’ concerns and continuing to work
with Ofqual, DfE and the exam boards to help find ways to make
next summer fairer for all students, but in order to do so, it
will require changes that go further than those currently being
proposed."
