Ministers were urged in Parliament today to “finally publish” their plans for next year’s exams to avoid having another “disaster” on their hands.

Labour’s shadow schools minister, Wes Streeting, said schools were now grappling with a series of challenges with GCSEs and A levels that could have been avoided if the Department for Education had planned ahead for this year.

During education questions in the House of Commons, he asked government ministers to reveal what was being planned for exams in 2022.

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He said: “Like so many other aspects of the government’s coronavirus response, the Department for Education’s handling of exams has been a total disaster and schools are currently grappling with a whole series of challenges that could have been easily avoided if only the department had planned ahead.

GCSEs and A levels: Call for government to publish plans for 2022

“So can we finally have the triumph of hope over experience and the government learn its lessons from last year’s disaster, the unfolding disaster this year and finally publish plans for next year so that those exams aren’t a disaster, too?”

Minister for school standards Nick Gibb said the situation for 2022 was being monitored. 

He said: “Well, given the disruption to children’s education over the last year, it wouldn’t be fair for exams to go ahead as normal [this summer], so on 15 January the decision was taken to cancel exams.

“We consulted together with Ofqual on the details of alternative arrangements to ensure that students can be awarded a grade and can move on to the next stage of their lives.

“Despite the fact we’ve had to cancel exams, that consultation received over 100,000 responses.

“This year students taking their GCSEs and A levels and some VTQs [vocational and technical qualifications] will receive grades determined by their teachers, based on a range of evidence, including in-class tests, coursework and optional exam board-provided sets of questions.

“Robust internal and external quality-assurance processes are in place to ensure fairness and consistency. We will monitor the position regarding 2022 and will make a statement then.”

Last week Ofqual’s interim chief regulator, Simon Lebus, said it was undecided whether A levels and GCSEs will return in their usual format in 2022.