The Chair of the Council’s Education and Families Committee has responded to news that next year’s Higher and Advanced Higher exams have been cancelled, as announced by John Swinney yesterday.
The decision means that pupils’ final grades in Higher and Advanced Higher courses will be based on the judgement of teachers, with more information to follow shortly from the Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA). It was announced in October that the National 5 exams in 2021 would be cancelled.
Mr. Swinney told the Scottish Parliament yesterday that many pupils had lost “significant learning time” through having to self-isolate in addition to the teaching time they lost before the summer holidays. An alternative to exams was the only fair option to reflect the demands and challenges of the pandemic on both staff and pupils.
George Smith, Chair of the Council’s Education and Families Committee, said: “I am pleased that a decision has been made - this is something we have been seeking for some time now. There will no doubt be mixed feelings amongst pupils but what is required now is absolute clarity on the assessment process and any appeals process. Teachers and pupils must be left in no doubt as to how this will work and how teachers’ judgements will be used.”
“The role of the SQA in moderation and any appeals process must also be clear from the outset. Everyone must have confidence that the situation which arose this year with the initial down grading of thousands of estimated grades will not be repeated next year.”
Schools will continue to update parents and carers on the changes to assessment arrangements at Higher and Advanced Higher level. Children’s Services officers will continue to work closely with school management teams and the SQA to support staff and learners to adjust to the changes.