The education secretary has been urged to respond to two petitions calling for a revision of the exam grading system, which have been signed by more than 180,000 people.
One of the petitions, which called on the government to review the decision “to use previous data to calculate exam grades”, received more than 148,000 signatures.
The other, which urged the government to reverse all exam grades back to teachers’ predictions, was signed by more than 33,000 people.
The chair of the committee set up by the House of Commons to look at e-petitions and public petitions wrote to Gavin Williamson yesterday asking him to respond to the concerns expressed in those petitions.
Catherine McKinnell MP, chair of the petitions committee, said: “It is vital that the government expedites its responses to these petitions.
Ofqual: No appeals allowed on CAG GCSE teacher assessed grades
WATCH: GCSE results 2020 - how did we get here?
GCSE results day 2020: U-turn means record top grades
“We as MPs are hearing directly from affected students and parents in our constituencies and they deserve clarity on the government’s position and its plans to ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged at such a crucial stage in their lives.”
Although, after Monday’s U-turn, students will be receiving whichever grade is higher between the CAGs that teachers worked out or the moderated grade produced by Ofqual, the letter states that there are still questions to be answered.
Ms McKinnell writes in the letter: “Ofqual’s announcement that A-level and GCSE grades will now be awarded on the basis of grades predicted by their teachers will be welcomed by many, but there remain questions to be answered.
“Students, and their parents, universities and potential employers, should be given the confidence that their results are robust and fair.”
“In light of the time-sensitive nature of the requests made by these petitions, and with the 7 September deadline for students to meet university offer conditions fast approaching, I am writing to ask you for expedited responses to these petitions, setting out what action the government is taking in response to the concerns expressed by these petitions.
“Petitioners, and the wider public, deserve clarity on the government’s position and its plans to ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged at such a crucial stage in their lives.”
She added in a statement: “There is still an urgent need for the government to clarify arrangements for students who have been affected.”
“Results day is a crucial time for many young people who are waiting to see what their future will hold. Many A-level students were left stressed, anxious and disappointed last week by the often severe, inexplicable and unfair reduction in their grades, and the intensity of feeling on this issue has been made clear by thousands of petitioners.”
