Labour is calling on and
to “come clean” about their role in the exams fiasco,
as the Party prepares for a Commons vote on a motion that would
require all internal documents, minutes of meetings, and
ministerial submissions relating to the exams fiasco to be
provided to the education select committee.
Kate Green, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, called on
MPs from all parties to back the motion, to ensure “the lessons
of this summer will be learnt, and confidence in the system can
be restored before next year’s exams.”
In the weeks since the exams fiasco began in August, there
have been repeated reports that both the Education Secretary and
Prime Minister were warned about the problems weeks or even
months in advance, but did not act to address them.
Last week the chair of Ofqual, the exams regulator, gave
evidence to the education select committee that the Secretary of
State unilaterally decided on the system of awarding grades, and
cancelled exams without consulting the regulator.
In his evidence, Roger Taylor also said that Number 10 were
briefed a week before A-Level results day, and were warned of the
risks in the current system.
Commenting, , Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary,
said:
“Time and again the Secretary of State and Prime Minister
have tried to avoid taking responsibility for the exams fiasco.
It has become clear that their serial incompetence was
responsible for the scandal.
“MPs from all parties should back this motion to ensure
young people, their families and the wider public can be assured
that the lessons of this summer will be learnt, and confidence in
the system can be restored before next year’s exams.
“It is essential and
come clean about what they knew, when they knew it,
and why nothing was done to address the concerns they were warned
about.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
· A Labour Opposition Day motion,
which will be subject to a Parliamentary vote on Wednesday, calls
for all internal Department for Education documents relating to
the 2020 exams fiasco, as well as exams in 2021, to be provided
to the Education Select Committee.
· In evidence given to the
Education Select Committee last week, Roger Taylor, Ofqual
chairman, said that the Secretary of State unilaterally imposed
the system of awarding grades without consultation, and ignored
the regulator’s advice about problems in the system.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gavin-williamson-ignored-exams-advice-says-ofqual-head-pxxx55hjd
· No 10 were briefed about the
risks of the system that was put in place a week before results
day.
https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/790/html/
“We briefed No. 10 on 7 August. The paper written there was very
alert to the risks of disadvantage to outlier students, to
centres that had expected improved grades this year and to the
impact on low-entry cohorts, including independent
schools.”
