Scotland’s education secretary, John Swinney, has stepped in to delay the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s already overdue update on 2021 exams, after becoming concerned about the “disturbing” rise in cases of Covid-19.

The SQA update was due in the week beginning 31 August, but Mr Swinney said that more clarity on how courses and exams would be affected by the coronavirus this year could now be expected at “the start of October”, after the publication of Professor Mark Priestley’s review of this year’s SQA results debacle.

Mr Swinney told the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee today that there remained a “very real risk” of “further disruptions for individual learners, individual schools and colleges”. And there was “no way of knowing what circumstances we will face” when the 2021 exams are due towards the end of April, which “makes identifying a fair and robust approach an incredibly difficult decision”.

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Mr Swinney said: “Our ambition remains to run a 2021 examination diet. However, in these exceptional times, the SQA and the [Covid-19] education recovery [group] are looking at contingencies which will be appropriate to the circumstances. This is especially relevant as we are currently seeing a disturbing increase in the number of cases of coronavirus, which has the potential to cause further disruption.

SQA exams 2021: Swinney wants to provide ‘certainty’

“It is also imperative that we consider fully the lessons of the 2020 national qualifications [results]. Professor Priestley will report the findings of his independent review soon, which will include recommendations for assessment this year, and will be important in my consideration of the dilemma that we are facing.”

Mr Swinney added: “The Scottish Qualifications Authority has consulted on measures to modify course assessment for national qualifications this year, and the timetabling of exams. Whilst I understand the need to share this with the system as soon as possible, I believe that any such changes need to be considered alongside the findings of the Priestley review.

“I want to provide as much certainty as possible in this time of great uncertainty. But I have therefore asked the chief examiner [Fiona Robertson] to pause on publishing her report, while I await the outcome of Professor Priestley’s review. I’ve done [this] in order that the system can receive as much clarity and certainty as possible on the range of related issues, and this will be set out at the start of October.”

Mr Swinney said he would see Professor Priestley’s review by the end of September.

The SQA was inundated with 23,000 responses after it ran a 10-day consultation in August on proposed exam and assessment changes in 2020-21.

With continuing uncertainty over whether the 2021 exams will run or be replaced by another system of assessment, Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer today told Mr Swinney that there is “a lot of concern from teachers that their workload will spiral out of control if they’re having to prepare for two scenarios”.

Mr Swinney, who is also deputy first minister, replied that he was “wrestling” with solutions that he wanted to “take forward in a fashion that does not in any way add to the workload of the teaching profession”, and that he was aiming to provide a “definitive” answer on the form of assessment that will be used in 2020-21 before the October school holidays.

Mr Greer said that “surely the only logical conclusion” is that ”exams are too big of a risk”.

An SQA spokesperson said: “As requested by the deputy first minister, SQA will now publish the outcomes of its technical consultation on modifications to National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses for the 2020-21 session and the 2021 exam timetable following publication of the Priestley Review. In the meantime, we thank everyone who has taken the time to participate in the consultation.

“We recognise that teachers and lecturers are seeking clarity but it is also beneficial that the system receives as much clarity and certainty as possible at the one time, when all the related information is available, so an informed decision about next steps can be made.”