Responding to the government announcement about how grades will
be awarded following the decision to cancel all exams, Geoff
Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said:
“We feel desperately sorry for students who have been building
for exams and no longer have the opportunity to take them. The
teacher assessment system outlined today leaves many questions
unanswered and will clearly require more detail.
“But we are where we are, and we are confident that Ofqual, the
exam boards, schools, and colleges will do everything possible to
ensure grades are awarded fairly and consistently in these
difficult circumstances.
“Teachers are experts in their subjects, they know these
qualifications inside out, they know their students, and they
have the professional skills to assess them accurately. We do not
subscribe to the notion that exams are the only credible way of
assessing qualifications, and this is an opportunity to at least
point the way to a less brutal system.
“We will now work with Ofqual on the detail of these plans,
providing the perspective of our members in making sure this
approach is as good as it can be. We are pleased that there will
be an opportunity for students who are unhappy with their grades
to sit exams at a later date as this provides an extra level of
assurance for these young people.”
