Labour calls for the government to push back 2021 exams to help pupils catch up

Labour has called on the government to push back the date of next year’s GCSE and A-level exams in England to help students catch up after losing months of education because of the pandemic.

Ahead of children returning to school this week, Kate Green, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, has warned that pupils entering Year 11 and 13 who have lost up to six months of teaching time will face “a mountain to climb” unless the Government steps in.

Labour is calling for exams due to take place in May to be pushed back until June or July to allow for extra teaching time.

Teaching unions have previously said that the government has its “head in the sand” on assessments in 2021, and many have suggested that there should be delays to exams.

Labour is also calling on the government to review the existing support arrangements for post-16 students urgently, so that pupils preparing to sit their A-Levels are not left without the support they need.

Kate Green, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“Pupils across the country who have missed out on vital teaching time will have a mountain to climb to prepare for May exams unless the government steps in.

”Ministers had warning after warning about problems with this year’s exam results, but allowed it to descend into a fiasco.

“This is too important for Boris Johnson to leave until to the last minute. Pupils heading back to school need clarity and certainty about the year ahead.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Despite consulting on the issue, Ofqual has so far taken no position on whether or not exams should be delayed in 2021 to give pupils more time to make up for lost learning.
  Ofqual, Exams and assessments in 2021, 3 August 2020 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/exams-and-assessments-in-2021

• Teaching unions have previously warned that the government have their head in the sand over assessments in 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/03/unions-say-government-has-head-in-sand-over-2021-gcses-and-a-levels

• The cross-party Education Select Committee has called for Post-16 learners to receive catch up support. https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/1834/documents/17976/default/?dm_i=26BG,6YB27,B1LAK,RZ9FZ,1, p18

• The government have listed all schools eligible for the catch-up premium, and this does not include post-16 provision, meaning pupils entering Year 13 will not be eligible.
  The list of eligible institutions is:

See Department for Education, Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch up premium: eligibility
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-catch-up-premium