The suggestion that schools and colleges should effectively run the results appeals process this year has been “unequivocally rejected” by Scotland’s largest teaching union, which says the Scottish Qualifications Authority favours that model.

The EIS union says the SQA is framing its consultation to make it look like centre-based (that is, schools- and colleges-based) appeals are the preferred option of the key education bodies that sit on the National Qualifications 2021 Group.

In a communication sent this week to EIS school representatives, the union states that while it is supportive in principle of students having the right to appeal their results directly this year, without having to secure the support of their school, it believes that the SQA should be “the final arbiter of results, not schools or colleges”.

However, the email states that in meetings of the National Qualifications 2021 Group - the body that is responsible for determining qualifications arrangements for 2020-21 - the SQA has been clear that it is “keen for the process to largely sit with schools and colleges”.

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The union says it has “unequivocally rejected” this and that others on the group share the EIS position but, it adds, “the SQA has framed the appeals consultation in such a way as to suggest that centre-based appeals are an option being considered, perhaps even preferred, by the NQ21 Working Group and Steering Group”.

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It adds: “To be clear - whilst the SQA may favour centre-based appeals, the EIS does not.”

The email says: “The EIS is supportive of the principle of candidates themselves having the right to appeal. However, we have been clear throughout the discussions within the NQ21 groups that candidate appeals should be to the SQA as the final arbiter of results, not schools or colleges who will submit Provisional Results to the SQA on 25 June.

“Within the NQ21 group discussions, the SQA has been keen for the process to largely sit with schools and colleges. The EIS has unequivocally rejected this on the grounds of workload and deliverability in the midst of the already extremely challenging circumstances of meeting the demands around learning, teaching, assessment and quality assurance as part of the alternative certification model and, also because schools and colleges would be reviewing their own evidence-based decisions.”

It adds: “Although SQA is in no doubt of the EIS position, and that our stance is shared by others, the SQA has framed the appeals consultation in such a way as to suggest that centre-based appeals are an option being considered, perhaps even preferred, by the NQ21 Working Group and Steering Group. To be clear - whilst the SQA may favour centre-based appeals, the EIS does not.

“In responding to the consultation nationally, the EIS will express in the strongest of terms our absolute rejection of centre-based appeals. Whilst schools and colleges are likely to be involved in discussions with learners who are considering making an appeal and potentially in providing SQA with candidate evidence, the responsibility for conducting appeals themselves should rest firmly with the SQA.”

The SQA opened its consultation on the 2021 appeals process on Friday and it is due to run until Friday 26 March.

The consultation puts forward three options: a fully school or college-based appeals process; a school or college based appeals process with SQA escalation; or an appeals process that involves appeals being directed to the SQA, but with schools and colleges first holding “a clarification conversation” with the learner.

The SQA consultation states: “The evidence used for the assessment, leading to the provisional result, and the information about how the result was determined will be held in centres. In addition, information about and records of the quality assurance process applied will also be held in centres. This is different from the situation in previous years when coursework and exams were marked by SQA and this material and information was held by SQA.

“So, in 2021, any approach to appeals will rely, in some way, on action being taken within schools and colleges to support an appeals process.”

Speaking to Tes Scotland, a secondary headteacher described options one and two as “repellent” and said that schools “must rebuke them at all costs”.

He added: “Unless there is a blindingly obvious clerical error, what else can schools do that they will not have done through their own moderation and quality assurance processes prior to submitting the grades?”

Last year’s appeals process proved controversial because it gave no direct right of appeals to students who, if they wanted to challenge their grades, had to do so through their school.

In a submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee earlier this month, the children’s commissioner said: “We have consistently reiterated our calls for direct appeals as a human right to an effective remedy and procedural fairness to be permitted (for example, in our evidence to the Priestley Review and this committee), but the SQA and deputy first minister have, to date, failed to provide access to justice for these young people.”

An SQA spokesperson said: “No decisions have been taken.  The SQA consultation on the 2021 National Qualifications Appeals process seeks views on a range of draft proposals. We want to hear from teachers, lecturers, parents, carers, learners and other stakeholders, to inform final proposals. The consultation runs until 26 March, following which we will work with partners, including the EIS [teaching union], to agree and publish the final appeals process in early May.”