Doubts over new A-level grading

[Guest55]

When the schools were closed, couldn’t exams have been conducted in empty schools and available staff? Exams could have been delayed a little, as being proposed for 2021.

Yes, needed bit of forward thinking and planning. What a mess lot of children have been put through. So much injustice around. Seems only the private schools hugely benefitted out of this fiasco and there seems to have been no checks on them.

What empty schools? Schools had to stay open for children of key workers including over Easter and Half-term. You cannot make staff work at a school they are not contracted to work in especially now most Secondaries are Academies. Students can't just go anywhere to take an exam ...

Don't you think every possible option for holding the exams was considered?

[nervousmom]

Personally, I think the exams should have gone ahead and the teachers should and could have made it work.

At the time, my son was very pleased his A levels were cancelled. However, even though his grades were excellent, he has said he wishes in a way he had sat the exams!

Let`s hope lessons have been learnt and this fiasco never happens again.

[Moon unit]

Students with elevated grades who would not have got onto courses like medicine
have gained places through clearing.
Others have lost places because their results were lower than predicted or mock results.
There are winners but also losers who have no appeal option and only a few short weeks to prepare for their exams.
Shame on the government for allowing this to happen to our children.

[tiffinboys]

No, I don’t think every possible option was considered before cancelling the exam. Otherwise, we won’t have witnessed the fiasco, which resulted in terrible injustices to so many children. Even getting a U grade, without even sitting the exams. What a joke!

Btw, at least two of the our local schools had so little uptake by children of key workers, that the schools decided to close and move these children to another nearby school. Yes, the schools in our area were closed or nearly empty.

If govt had decided to go ahead with exam, schools would have found way to conduct these without much difficulty. Only exam might have had to be delayed for a while, as now being proposed for 2021.

[nervousmom]

Just heard on the news that it was Gavin Willamson who decided the exams should be cancelled, against the advice of the regulator.

It seems their preferred choice was socially distanced exams. Cancellation was a last resort.

Why is he still in a job?

[nyr]

Why, indeed?

[Catseye]

I agree with g55. It's a Pyrrhic victory for many as they will find out when we get the drop-outs rates in forthcoming years especially for courses like medicine and other 'top' degrees at top institutions . 12% grade inflation makes this years results ridiculous.

When I told my DD that her grades had been up-graded from A*AA to A*A*A* she just turned round and said :

" they are not my results , I was prevented from proving myself"

And I respect her for that insight....I never thought she had it in her , I really should give her more credit...my little girl is turning into a woman

[tiffinboys]

My DC said similar, but here such views were disliked, see earlier posts.

Now Ofqual attacks G Williamson’s decision to cancel the exams.
Cat is coming out of the bag.
https://www.metro.news/the-exams-could- ... o/2133668/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nervousmom]

catseye, I think your daughter is right and may will probably feel the same.

After all those years at school, it would have been nice for them to have finished off with their final achievement, the pinnacle of their schooling career, so to speak.

I think my son feels the same.

[tiffinboys]

Story of U turns.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-54103612" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;