By Gavin Mackintosh-
The education select committee has accused Ofqual of ignoring repeated warnings in the run-up to 2020’s disastrous exams, claiming the regulator instead chose to follow orders from ministers and “hoped for the best”.
The committee chair Robert Halfon also made reference to the influence ministers may have had over decisions and the Department for Education’s failure so far to produce requested papers detailing the decision-making behind scrapping exams.
Halfon added that the select committee had not yet been provided with the “relevant information and papers” by the Department for Education relating to the decision to cancel exams in 2020. The suggestion being made is that Ofqual was reckless in not responding to early warnings to save exams.
The Eye Of Media.Com supported the closing down of all schools in the Uk before the first lockdown long before the decision was eventually made, leading to the national lockdown in March. However, this organisation opposed the cancellation of exams and suggested alternative means of ensuring exams were taken by pupils, instead of using other mechanism to determine pupils grades.
Halfon said the “fallout and unfairness” from the cancellation of exams will “have an ongoing impact on the lives of thousands of families”.
“But such harm could have been avoided had Ofqual not buried its head in the sand and ignored repeated warnings, including from our Committee, about the flaws in the system for awarding grades.”
He claimed Ofqual were “clearly aware” that its controversial algorithm would cause problems for high achieving pupils in historically low attaining schools it “believed the number would be statistically small and could be addressed through an appeals process”.
It also recognised the approach would benefit smaller schools like private schools, and place pupils at large schools and colleges at a disadvantage.
The letter states: “We regret that Ofqual decided not to raise wider concerns about the fairness of the model they were being asked to implement.
“They had every opportunity to do so when they came before us in June. Instead, they simply followed the ministerial direction and hoped for the best.”
Halfon explains the “whole episode calls into question Ofqual’s independence” from government.
The committee concluded it was unacceptable that the regulator had taken up a “half-way house position where lines of accountability for standards are blurred”.
It was also revealed that the committee is of the opinion that if running a full schedule of exams this year was not possible there should be at least be exams in ‘core subjects’.
“There must be exams in at least English, maths and the science subjects, so that students are tested in these core curriculum subjects”, Halfon wrote.
Spielman, who is chairing Ofqual’s new “recovery committee”, said holding exams only in core subjects was “the kind of option under consideration” for next year.
Halfon also noted that the select committee had not yet been provided with the “relevant information and papers” by the Department for Education relating to the decision to cancel exams in 2020.
He said he expected the papers by Monday, November 23, so that the committee “may complete our investigation”.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “It is completely unacceptable that the government has apparently thus far failed to supply relevant papers and the minutes of meetings requested by the committee.
“We seem to be no nearer understanding what steps ministers took to ask the right questions at the right times to assure themselves on behalf of the public that the system for awarding grades would work and wouldn’t fall apart in the way that it did. ”
A DfE spokesperson said: “All decisions taken this year were based on delivering the fairest outcome for students. At all times the department worked closely with Ofqual to find solutions that would allow young people to progress to the next stage of their education or career.
“We have full confidence in Ofqual as an independent regulator and it is right we continue to work closely with them, reflecting on 2020 and ensuring next summer’s exams are as fair as possible for young people, taking into account the disruption students may have experienced.”