Appeals to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in 2021 could result in students seeing grades go down as well as up, education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told the Scottish Parliament this afternoon.
That goes against the advice of the likes of children’s commissioner Bruce Adamson, who has argued that downgrades should be ruled out in this exceptional year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Somerville stressed, however, that historically the number of downgrades issued by the SQA is very small.
She also clarified that the SQA would handle appeals directly. One other option that had been considered was schools taking charge of this year’s appeals process.
Tomorrow, the appeals process will be debated in the Scottish Parliament as MSPs consider how education can be supported in the Covid recovery effort.
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Ms Somerville also announced a range of support for students and said that they could indicate an intention to appeal grades by the end of June. A letter will also be sent to every learner sitting assessments, detailing the support available.
Assessment 2021: Student appeals will go directly to the SQA
The Scottish Greens’ education spokesperson, Ross Greer, said that the possibility of a downgrade after appeal means young people will be taking a “perverse gamble”. He tweeted: “Hard to avoid concluding that than the SQA have designed an appeals process with the express aim of discouraging as many appeals as possible.”
When asked about when the appeals process might be completed, Ms Somerville said those waiting on a university or college would be prioritised.
Final preparations for my statement this afternoon on assessments and appeals from my new @ScotParl office. Looking forward to Education debate tomorrow to set out COVID recovery work underway and bit of a look to the future too. pic.twitter.com/AXEcP8JUWm
- Shirley-Anne Somerville (@S_A_Somerville) June 2, 2021
Conservative shadow education minister Oliver Mundell decried the “astonishing naivety and incompetence of the SQA” and said SQA assessment papers were widely available online “on an industrial scale”. Tes Scotland first revealed last month that papers were being widely shared on social media platforms such as TikTok.
Fiona Robertson, SQA chief executive and Scotland’s chief examining officer, said of the appeals process published today: “Every effort is being made across the education system to support learners after an exceptionally challenging year, and to ensure they get the right result, first time. However, an appeals process must be available to learners. For the first time, learners will have a direct right of appeal to SQA. The grounds for appeal are broad and the service is free.”
“The SQA have just confirmed the details of this year’s appeals process for school assessments, and it’s unfortunately just as bad as we were expecting.”
?️ @Ross_Greer reacts to the newly announced SQA appeals procedure. pic.twitter.com/wyZ87k5I9Q
- Scottish Greens (@scottishgreens) June 2, 2021
EIS teaching union general secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes that responsibility for handling appeals will rest with the SQA rather than schools - something that we pushed hard to secure, particularly in light of the workload pressures that teachers are under in delivering the alternative certification model. We also welcome that the process will not require the payment of fees by those wishing to submit appeals.”
Mr Flanagan added: “There is a quite phenomenal amount of work being undertaken across schools by teaching staff to ensure that young people are appropriately accredited for their learning. The three-month lockdown and associated remote learning certainly concertinaed the time available for student production of evidence but ultimately it is that evidence which allows teachers to exercise professional judgement in determining provisional results. Although some schools have made use of SQA assessment instruments, teachers are able to draw on whatever evidence they regard as valid in determining grades.
“Also, unlike high-stake exams, the evidence does not need to be produced in a one-off event and crucially, the professional judgment of teachers will not be challenged by the SQA - this was a critical point which the EIS successfully argued for as part of the [alternative certification model - ACM].”
Having left the chamber it turns out that @sqanews have not published an appeals process at all. They have a couple of paragraphs on a webpage and a colourful booklet. Nothing on evidence required, timescales, personal circumstances. This shambles only gets worse.
- Michael Marra MSP (@michaeljmarra) June 2, 2021
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said that “it appears from the very brief information set out today that the deadlines and process for submitting appeals might place an expectation of teachers being available during the summer holidays to engage with the process.
“The NASUWT remains opposed to any proposal for the handling of appeals which would require teachers to be involved in managing the appeals process during the summer holidays.”
Dr Roach added: “There are now just a few weeks until grades must be submitted, yet details of the appeal process are only just being set out and even these lack the necessary clarity and detail to support teachers and pupils.
“Today’s announcement only reinforces the view of the NASUWT that the SQA and the National Qualifications Group are not fit for purpose and that wholesale review is required.”
Children and young people’s commissioner Bruce Adamson said: “It was important to hear the cabinet secretary’s commitment to take seriously the anxiety that young people have experienced in their education.”
He added: “Crucially, young people need to know what support is in place for them between now and August when the formal appeal process will start. Uncertainty continues to create needless worry and stress for young people who are already feeling the mental strain of a global pandemic and everything that entailed, not least in education.”
Mr Adamson said “the complex detail of [today’s announcement] will take some time to analyse”, adding: “We understand that our repeated call for a direct appeals process for young people is included and I welcome this as the minimum that young people should expect.
“However, disappointingly, the cabinet secretary communicated that the appeals process will not include a policy of ‘no detriment’ which means that young people could be downgraded as a result of appealing a grade. This is an unnecessary and disempowering barrier to young people; no one should have their mark downgraded.”
Mr Adamson also said: “It was not clear from the statement today if the appeals process will take into account young people’s individual exceptional circumstances that have hampered them from being able to evidence their learning in the past year.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, there are a number of circumstances that may have affected young people’s ability to demonstrate their attainment. Some may have experienced bereavement, ill-health or have been excluded from a lot of their education by not having access to a device for remote learning. This needs to be taken into account in a rights-compliant process.”
Information on this year’s National Qualifiations appeals service is now available. Follow the link to our website for more details ➡️ ➡️ ➡️ https://t.co/gsClHWHOu7 #SQAappeals pic.twitter.com/r4HiCDQrKH
- SQA (@sqanews) June 2, 2021
