Coronavirus: Many NI vocational students 'will get predicted grades'

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By Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI Political Reporter

Many students taking vocational qualifications will get results based on predicted grades this summer, Diane Dodds has confirmed.

It follows the cancellations of exams and assessments in vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs).

The exams regulator, Ofqual, provided updated guidance on VTQ results over Easter.

On Thursday, the economy minister said the move would ensure NI remained in line with England and Wales.

The news on vocational qualifications comes after the cancellations of GCSE, AS and A-level exams. Results for these will also be based on predicted grades allocated by teachers.

There are a wide range of vocational, technical and professional qualifications.

Mrs Dodds had already said exams and assessments for VTOs would would not take place in NI this summer, due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

'Calculated result'

They are taken by tens of thousands of students at schools and further education (FE) colleges in Northern Ireland.

Many take VTQs through English training and awarding bodies.

Speaking at the executive's daily press conference on Thursday, she said she had notified the NI exams board, CCEA, of her plans for how the qualifications would be awarded.

She said the likes of BTEC qualifications will receive a "calculated result", based in part on how a tutor or teacher predicted a student would have performed in the completed course as well as outstanding assessments.

She said she recognised such a process would not be suitable for all types of vocational qualifications, including those that lead directly to jobs.

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Economy Minister Diane Dodds has said exams or assessments for vocational and technical qualifications would not take place in NI this summer

The minister also said those results would be determined using a number of methods, but hoped the majority would be awarded by the end of August 2020 so those students could progress.

She confirmed that qualifications directly signalling occupational competence or function as a licence to practice could not be resolved in this way.

Only in cases where results cannot be calculated on predicted methods, should a delay in a result be considered, Mrs Dodds added.

'Real anxiety'

Further education college principals in NI have welcomed the move.

"Understandably, there has been very real anxiety among our student population about what Covid-19 means for them and their qualifications," said Michael McAlister, Chief executive of South West College and chair of the College Principals' Group.

This will allow a significant number of our students to progress to higher and further education and provides them with some certainty so they can plan ahead.

"For other courses where alternative solutions are required, we must wait on further guidance from the regulator and we want to assure students that our staff will work with them in the coming weeks so they can be awarded the grades they deserve."

Ofqual said it would publish exact details of the qualifications which would be awarded by "calculated results" - and those which would have to be delayed - after Easter.

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