Swinney to replace MSPs on 2021 college examination plans

John Swinney is to replace MSPs on the plans for college exams in Scotland subsequent yr, after the 2020 weight loss plan was cancelled as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.

The training secretary is to make a speech at Holyrood addressing the row over the 2020 exams and plans for 2021.

There was hypothesis that exams for Nationwide 5 {qualifications} might be dropped and changed with coursework.

Mr Swinney has beforehand stated the federal government’s “goal” is to run a full weight loss plan of exams subsequent spring.

Nonetheless, another politicians and unions have referred to as for them to be cancelled and changed with trainer assessments, saying the chance of college closures disrupting college students is simply too nice.

Scotland’s college exams had been cancelled for the primary time ever in 2020, with the nation locked down as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

The Scottish {Qualifications} Authority initially drew up outcomes utilizing a system which took trainer estimates for every pupil, then moderated them based mostly on outcomes from earlier years.

Nonetheless, this sparked an outcry after 125,000 outcomes had been downgraded, with claims the moderation system unfairly penalised youngsters at colleges which had traditionally not carried out as effectively.

The federal government subsequently agreed to simply accept the unique trainer estimates of grades, and commissioned an unbiased assessment of the row.

Mr Swinney may probably focus on the findings of the assessment by Prof Mark Priestly as a part of his Holyrood assertion on Wednesday.

The training secretary can also be as a consequence of set out plans for the way the 2021 exams will run.

Assessments and coursework as a substitute of exams

By Lucy Whyte, BBC Scotland training reporter

With lecturers and pupils nonetheless catching up from missed time collectively throughout lockdown, day trip of sophistication this time period in the event that they should self-isolate, and the potential of additional lockdowns, the concept of working the exams as regular seems extraordinarily unlikely.

As an alternative, one concept which has been extensively mentioned is cancelling closing exams for Nationwide 5s altogether, as a substitute grading these {qualifications} with checks and coursework all year long.

Highers and Superior Highers would then be pushed again by a few weeks, however would largely be capable to proceed as regular.

This might additionally unlock extra assessors who would normally work on Nationwide 5s, that means grades would nonetheless be prepared by the start of August as common – which might keep away from a knock-on impact for entry to school or faculty.

There are nonetheless issues the college yr could also be disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, with additional restrictions to be set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon straight earlier than Mr Swinney’s assertion.

Nonetheless, Ms Sturgeon careworn that any modifications wouldn’t quantity to a full lockdown, and wouldn’t contain closing colleges “even partially”.

In September, Mr Swinney advised mother and father that the federal government’s “goal was to run a full 2021 examination weight loss plan”, though he stated consideration was being given to whether or not they might be pushed again within the yr.

He stated: “I can not foresee how a lot disruption there shall be between now and subsequent spring, both on particular person, class or college degree.

“I’m decided to make sure each pupil has equity and a good crack on the whip subsequent yr, irrespective of their expertise.”

‘Fixed uncertainty’

Lindsay Paterson, professor of training coverage on the College of Edinburgh, stated readability from Mr Swinney was “urgently wanted” so lecturers and pupils may put together.

“If the exams are to be scrapped for the Nationwide 5s then there must be rather more consideration to coursework… and that has to develop into the correct foundation of awards subsequent summer time,” he stated.

“The lecturers have to know what to mark, they want to have the ability to inform college students {that a} specific piece of labor is not only a observe – it is the true factor.

“Relating to the prelim exams, as a substitute of being a observe for the primary factor they might be the primary factor – so the scholars should be ready and that after all requires lecturers to know what’s to occur.”

Opposition events have been break up on whether or not the exams ought to go forward.

The Scottish Greens have referred to as for the total 2021 weight loss plan to be cancelled and changed with trainer evaluation of labor accomplished all year long, with training spokesman Ross Greer saying that “a yr of fixed uncertainty is not honest on lecturers or pupils”.

Nonetheless, the Scottish Conservatives have referred to as on ministers to “save as a lot of the 2021 examination weight loss plan as attainable”.

Schooling spokesman Jamie Greene stated it was “unimaginable that colleges have been again for almost two months however they nonetheless don’t know what they’re planning for”.