Coronavirus in Scotland: SQA head defends emergency plan for exams

Fiona RobertsonScottish Parliament

Fiona Robertson told MSPs the grades would be moderated to ensure that all schools were using the same grading

By Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

The head of the Scottish Qualifications Authority has defended the emergency arrangements for students who should have been sitting exams this year.

SQA chief executive Fiona Robertson was facing scrutiny from MSPs on Holyrood's education committee.

She denied that the previous record of a school should put some candidates at an advantage or a disadvantage.

And she said there was no presumption that the estimated grades provided by teachers would be changed.

However, she insisted safeguards were needed to ensure the integrity of the system.

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Scottish exams have been cancelled for the first time

Ms Robertson also stressed that grades would be based on "an overall judgement on all activity throughout the year" rather than prelim results or single projects.

This year's exams were cancelled for the first time in history after the country's schools were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The exams had been due to begin this week for 138,000 students in Scotland.

Because of social distancing rules, the education committee session took place online.

Ms Robertson told MSPs that results would be based on estimated grades that relied on the professional judgement of teachers and lecturers.

She said that after the 29 May deadline for results, they would be moderated to ensure that "an A in one school is the same as an A in another and so on".

Results are due to be issued on 4 August, after which a free appeals service will be available.

Scottish Parliament

After it was pointed out that some students have poor home environments for learning or may be disadvantaged technically or motivationally, the SQA's Robert Quinn said it would be the "quality of the work" and consistency of performance that would be reviewed, "not so much the quantity".

Mr Quinn said a guide for estimating results had been updated, and an online academy launched, to help teachers and lecturers make good decisions.

He said: "We are very clear that no pupil should be disadvantaged if they are unable to complete work after their centres were closed," he said.

Head examiner Ms Robertson said it would be a major challenge to ensure that grades would have the same value as previous years, but said: "It is really important that the class of 2020 will get qualifications that will stand the test of time. I believe we can do that."

Ranking 'abhorrant and repulsive'

Gail Ross MSP told the committee that a focus group of teachers had expressed concern about ranking students against their classmates.

She said the group had described the system of ranking as "abhorrent, repulsive and goes against the values of teaching" as it pits "pupil against pupil".

Ms Robertson said her own feedback from teachers had been more positive.

"For teachers involved for a number of years, ranking was a feature of the system previously," she said. "It's not new for the Scottish system and was part of the appeals process a number of years ago."

She said ranking was reintroduced to help teachers assess grades more accurately.

Last week, full details were made available of the way the emergency arrangements will operate.

It is still impossible to say when schools will reopen but it is expected that social distancing measures will still be in force by then. This could mean some students will not be in school full time.

The longer closures and restrictions continue, the greater the risk that less time will be available to teach entire courses.

The SSTA union has already called for next year's exams to also be cancelled.

However, such a decision would not be in the gift of the SQA and would need to be made by the Scottish government.

The EIS union says S4 students should not normally sit exams next year - arguing they could then be presented in S5 at the appropriate level.

This could mean, for example, that academically-able students might not take a National 5 exam next year but would still sit a Higher the following year.

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