Scottish schools assessment system branded "a mess"

Education Secretary John Swinney has defended the assessment system which replaced the Covid-hit exams after it was a branded a "mess".

The Scottish Conservatives' Jamie Greene warned it is "fast becoming the first scandal of this new parliament."

The criticism comes after an independent parents group challenged the fairness of the assessments.

Mr Swinney told MSPs that pupil grades will be determined by teachers and will not be challenged.

During parliamentary questions Mr Greene said there is "growing and widespread concern" over the Scottish Qualification Authority's assessments and awards process.

He added that the author of a review into the fallout of the 2020 exams diet, Prof Mark Priestley, described the present situation as an "unfolding debacle".

Mr Swinney said the alternative certification model has been designed by the National Qualifications Group 2021, which includes representatives of local authorities, reaching unions, pupils and parents.

He said: "The grades of young people will be determined by the judgement of teachers which will be informed by evidence of demonstrated attainment, of student achievement, over a number of assessments rather than an end of year exam."

The education secretary said the unavoidable second period of remote learning since January has meant students are doing assessments for this year's model "over a shorter period than was first anticipated".

But he added course work has been reduced for most subjects and schools have been given flexibility around which assessment tools they use to inform them of grades.

Mr Swinney also said those grades "will not subsequently be overturned by the SQA" and highlighted contingency plans for those pupils who cannot submit evidence by the extended deadline of 25 June.

In response, Mr Greene said the late addition of assessments has left pupils "at breaking point" and parents "furious".

He also highlighted the case of one pupil who had to sit "an unbelievable" 43 exam-like papers in just five weeks and the sharing of exam papers on TikTok.

Mr Greene concluded: "This year's exams fiasco is fast becoming the first scandal of this new parliament and the first scandal of this new government.

"Who is going to fix this mess and how?"

Mr Swinney said the government had faced "extremely difficult decisions" due to the pandemic but again stressed the current model was agreed by several stakeholders.

He added: "This is not some model cooked up by the SQA. This a model that has been agreed, as Prof Priestley asked us to do, as a model designed by the whole education system to make sure that we properly record the achievements of young people."

On Thursday Scotland's largest independent parents group, warned schools are taking "different approaches" across the country due to the pandemic.

Connect said it had understood that the system to help decide grades, after formal exams were cancelled, would be a combination of course work and teacher judgement.

Instead the group says the process "simply mimics the very worst elements of the inequitable system it replaces".

In an open letter to the first minister and the SQA, Connect executive director Eileen Prior said young people are doing assessments which are, in effect, exams "within school time".

And she warned pupils face "an even more challenging timetable than SQA exams" and, with no study leave, have been driven to "cram for tests rather than to learn".

In response an SQA spokesman said: "We fully appreciate that this is a challenging time for learners across Scotland.

"There is no requirement to replicate a full formal exam or prelim diet this year and that results need to be based on demonstrated attainment by assessment in a flexible way to suit local circumstances.

"SQA has provided a flexible and consistent framework for schools and colleges this year, including detailed guidance, material and support, based on assessment standards that teachers and lecturers are familiar with."