Sammy Wright, Social Mobility Commissioner Lead for Schools
and Higher Education, said:
“This week the government is taking the first tentative
steps towards addressing the educational impact of
coronavirus on schools and colleges, but there is a lot
more that needs to be done. COVID-19 has exacerbated the
existing inequalities, and disadvantaged students will
continue to fall behind without more sustained support.”
Addressing unconscious bias when teachers grade exams
“We welcome the fact that students will receive grades that
have been awarded and determined by their teachers, with
pupils only assessed on what they have been taught in 2021.
Nonetheless the detail is important: we must address
potential unconscious bias to fairly mediate the impact on
disadvantaged students.
“We hope that the range of evidence the Department for
Education called upon, and the freedom given to teachers,
indicates a willingness to think of grades as an indicator
rather than a decider of ability and potential. This is
vital in allowing fair progression to the next stage of
education.
“The absence of an algorithm to standardise grades is
understandable after last year’s debacle. It was badly
designed. But algorithm is an important way to ensure
fairness. In having nothing this year, we have no check on
the overall distribution of grades, which could hurt
disadvantaged students the most. This makes it even more
important to mitigate potential negative impacts on
progression by providing extra support for pupils aged
16-19.”
Summer schools are not the only solution to help catch-up
“The catch-up programme is a good start for supporting
students and bridging inequalities. Summer schools could be
valuable too. We call on the government to ensure that the
summer schools create active, enriching, social experiences
to re-engage young people with education and help them
aspire to a brighter future.
“But we counsel against thinking that summer schools are
the only solution and will continue to ask the government
to:
- Initially prioritise those in 16-19 education, who are
at critical transition moments in life
- Introduce a 16-19 Student Premium, which allows schools
to invest in both whole-school and targeted interventions
for disadvantaged learners
- Provide interventions for disadvantaged learners
- Increase funding for teaching time that can be
delivered during the regular schedule
- Provide additional maintenance grants to those entering
HR or higher technical qualifications, who need more time
to complete their degree.”
