Commenting on the policy paper Education Policy Institute
position on testing and examinations in 2021, Kevin Courtney,
Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The NEU has been calling for a fair system of examinations in
2021, to avoid the farce of this year and ensure that students'
futures are never again put at risk by this Government. We agree
with the Education Policy Institute that really
should have listened sooner. Burying his head in the sand is no
sort of strategy.
"We need greater optionality in order that students can be
assured of a fair grade next summer. The question is why the
Government has not pursued this already. Optionality would go
some significant way towards accounting for the unequal impacts
of Covid around the country. It would restore fairness by
ensuring that students have the chance of a grade that actually
reflects the things they know and can do, rather than topics
which could not be accessed due to home circumstances.
"Gavin Williamson has made matters worse by failing to deliver
around half of the IT equipment promised to disadvantaged
students in the spring, and has since pivoted to rationing what
few supplies are now available. He is baking unfairness into the
system. Many young people who are forced to self-isolate will
have even greater difficulty accessing learning, and current
arrangements for next year's exams will conspire to work against
and disenfranchise those same students.
"The Westminster government needs to catch up with the other
nations in the UK. In Wales and Northern Ireland content has
already been reduced to give all students a fairer chance at a
grade. This is the best way forward.
"We also need nationally moderated centre-assessed grades. We
recognise the issues highlighted by the EPI but it would be
possible, if Ofqual and DfE move swiftly, to have a more robust
version this year. In Scotland, structures are being put in place
to base judgments on internally and nationally moderated evidence
and if we used a similar system in England, this would mitigate
the concerns raised.
"We also think it is a sensible idea to offer additional funding
to exam boards to help them manage the risk of making these
changes later down the line than should have been the case. It is
worth the effort to do so, to spare students a repeat of the
fiasco of 2020."
