We’d always like to think that there was more to school than exam results, and of course there is. We always hope that young people leave the confines of our four walls as better people, ready to face the challenges of an increasingly complex world and workplace. And they do, more often than not.
However, regardless of our view of education and regardless of our hopes that Curriculum for Excellence would change things, exams still remain the cornerstone of what we do in secondary schools. In the here and now, the upper school years revolve around them. Like it or not, a good set of exam results is the currency of the world in which our students live.
So what might results day look like this year, a year in which there were no exams? Whatever happens, there will be turmoil.
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Some will be delighted, some upset. Teachers were placed in the position of estimating results based on what we knew about the young people in front of us. Those estimates could only come from this year’s continuous performance, whether that be in prelims, homework or classwork.
What might be a problem is that our exam system has always allowed for cramming. Many, despite our protestations, get going as the exam approaches. Boys especially can be guilty of this approach. And, despite our advice, cries of “unfair” will be loud and clear.
Schools closed in March very suddenly. None of us was prepared for that and we have to display some sympathy for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) here. Nevertheless, I’m not sure how they, as a body, will come out of this, but it likely won’t be good.
Results days always result in celebration and disappointment but without the ability to sit an exam, those who don’t get what they feel they deserve will demand answers - answers that I’m not sure will be there. The fallout for those in S4 and S5 who were on the cusp of leaving school anyway may be pushed over the edge in sheer exasperation. The prospect of further years at school suddenly loses its sheen in the heat of any assumption of inequality.
I struggle to see how this can be avoided, even with more SQA transparency. It may allow us to finally have the discussion about whether our exam system is fit for purpose, but I doubt it. The system works for those it works for. Those people tend to be the ones who can affect that change. So why would they?
Our return to school in August will be welcome for everyone but the exam results mean that it may be a very messy start. Protestations notwithstanding, we must not forget that courses in the upper school generally require much of June to cover course work. Losing that may not have any impact on this year’s results but think about the S4 students, moving through National 5 and on to Higher. Their complete exam experience will have been affected by Covid-19.
Perhaps as we concern ourselves with this year’s exam results, we need to be much better prepared for next year’s.
Kenny Pieper is a secondary teacher in Scotland. He tweets @kennypieper
