By Victoria Mckeown-
Scotland’s cancellation of exams next year already sets Scottish pupils back academically. Many pupils can be expected to relax more and focus less.
Scotland’s education secretary, John Swinney (pctured) announced the cancellation of next year’s higher and advanced higher exams, in a U turn from his previous insistence that the exams must take place as planned.
Mr. Swinney made the announcement in response to concerns that many pupils – in particular those of poorer backgrounds – have missed out on schooling as a result of repeated self isolation. He said the “differential disruption to education caused by periods of self-isolation” had been “fundamental” to his decision-making.
He insisted that pupils’ grades “will be anchored in teacher assessment” and that teachers will have “months more” to familiarise themselves with the judgements they need to make, based on classroom work throughout the year.
Mr Swinney said there was “no guarantee” pupils would face no further disruption to their education over the next months.
“In light of this, the question is less whether we can hold the exams safely in the spring and more whether we can do so fairly,” he said.
“However, there is no getting around the fact that a significant percentage of our poorest pupils have lost significantly more teaching time than other pupils.
In October, Swinney announced the cancellation of National 5s – the equivalent of English and Welsh GCSEs – next year.
He also announced that university students would face a six-week staggered return to campus at the beginning of next year, with undergraduates recommencing their studies at home.
The cancellation is in response to school closures caused by the coronavirus, will benefit students mentally, but slow them down even further. The knowledge that pupils will be assessed according to teacher assessment, will simply mean pupils concentrate on homework and working virtually at home.
An expected outcome is for many pupils to employ assistance, either through parents or tutors to get work down, compromising the important benefits of learning and testing. The argument that disadvantaged pupils have lost time due to self isolation is a bad reason for cancelling exams.
Plans could have been made to support disadvantaged people, who should be expected to co-operate with assistance provided, if they want their disadvantaged background to be considered at all.
The Scottish Education Secretary has given students in Scotland a free ticket to develop less for the next year and not have the satisfaction of saying they properly achieved their grades with no massive favours. The provisions made in England were more generous grades will be offered in final year grades is much better.