EMBARGOED FOR
2230 MONDAY 5 July 2021
Commenting on Labour's calls that a plan for 2022 exams is set
out by September, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“September 1st is the absolute latest that information should be
provided about qualifications in 2022. There still hasn’t been
any detail nor a public consultation, and we are already in July.
That is unacceptable.
"As the consultation must be at least two weeks long, and the
government and Ofqual will then have to consider all responses,
it is now almost certain that final proposals will come, at the
earliest, in the summer holidays. That the consultation has not
yet taken place, speaks to the Government's blatant and continued
disregard for the workload of education professionals. Timely
planning for teaching in the next academic year is surely
essential.
"Any consultation must also consider contingency plans. The
government has now failed multiple times to prepare contingencies
in case exams cannot take place. No matter what your preferred
Plan A, to refuse to prepare a Plan B in case exams cannot happen
in the midst of a pandemic is sheer, wilful negligence.
Government's blind faith meant that in 2021 education
professionals were left to pick up the pieces, whilst being given
no resources to free them up to actually do the work necessary
for grading.
"Fortunately, the incredible efforts of students and educators
alike have meant that every school and college’s grading
procedure has been signed off by the exam boards. It has also
meant it is now possible for samples of the evidence used for
grades at every school and college in the country to be checked
by the exam boards.
"The fact we are at this stage is almost miraculous but students
and education professionals across the country should never have
been put in this position in the first place. It is quite right
that as a nation we should hope for the best outcome, but a
Government must also plan for the worst. It is irresponsible to
do otherwise. With no further information yet about 2022, we are
seriously concerned that the Government is yet again pinning
everything on hope."
