For teenagers up and down the country, the national uncertainty surrounding their GCSE and A-level exams has caused no end of stress and anxiety.
For some, this uncertainty has led to extreme levels of overworking and debilitating anxiety. They’ve seen the disaster of centre-assessed grades (CAGs). They’re worried everything they do now will seal their fate in the future. One bad test result? They think they’re doomed.
For others, there is a feeling of dejection - the GCSE and A-level exams are going to be cancelled anyway, so why bother?
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This unsustainable pressure on their mental health cannot be allowed to continue. This level of uncertainty cannot continue. Even though the government has outlined plans for the GCSE and A-level exams this summer, we still don’t know the ‘Plan B’.
‘GCSEs 2021 have to go ahead’
My view is that the non-negotiable here is that we must preserve our exam systems whatever the pandemic throws at us.
A pandemic simply isn’t the time to rip up our assessment processes in the way that Scotland has. A national assessment process cannot be designed, and designed well, in a matter of months during a pandemic.
Exams remain the fairest way for every child to have an equal opportunity and they must be preserved at all costs. But if the government is to ensure that they do happen as planned, this is what I think they need to do:
1. A national lockdown before the GCSE and A-level exams
By doing this before the beginning of the exams, we could help ensure that students have a lower chance of contracting the virus. We need our young people to be healthy to sit their exams and have the opportunity to shape their futures.
2. Close schools during exams
Schools need to be empowered by being able to deploy all of their resources to preserve and protect exams. Commission Oak National to provide a national closure curriculum. Of course, this means a serious investment of resources to ensure all young people have a device and WiFi to access this. It’s money well spent; an investment in the lives of our next generation.
3. Invigilator teachers
By closing schools nationally over the exam period, and taking away the workload of providing remote education during the closure, this will allow some teachers to be redeployed as invigilators and others to be on hand to support students who may need it. Obviously, this would mean teachers not invigilating their own subject, but by providing this boost in staffing resources, it would allow schools to operate their exam rooms in appropriate spaces, allowing ventilation and lower numbers of students crammed into small spaces. Open Nightingale exam halls if you need to!
4. A further reduction in exam content
While some steps have been taken to reduce assessed content, there is scope to reduce this further while maintaining standards. We need to accept that the inevitable disruption to curriculum coverage can be factored in by making the assessed content realistic.
5. Find a way to level the playing field
One key problem that remains is the inequality of educational experiences over the course of this academic year. By accepting this now, there is time to find an approach that can best make this an equal playing field.
For example, applying a special circumstances percentage per week of forced isolation would allow for some statistical consistency of experience. Dare I say it, maybe even an algorithm!
Yes, it wouldn’t solve absolutely everything, but it could at least allow every child to have a fighting chance at achieving their potential.
