The vast majority of teachers do not think the way students are being assessed this year is “fair and reasonable”, research suggests - with some even reporting that the pressure is leading to students “taking panic attacks or crying during class time”.

In a survey of more than 1,700 teachers, opened last week by the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA), just 20 per cent of respondents said they supported the “alternative certification model” (ACM), which is replacing national Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) exams this year after they were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachers said in their comments that the ACM is “an absolute disgrace” and the way that students are being assessed is putting “crazy expectations” on both them and staff. One headteacher said that “workload has been phenomenal” and that staff are “exhausted, stressed and deeply concerned about the mental health of pupils within our care”.

Also this week: Parents use survey to ‘bemoan’ SQA performance

News: Statement on 2021 appeals process expected next week

First minister: We won’t have another qualifications fiasco, says Nicola Sturgeon

A student’s view: If these aren’t exams, why have we got exam stress?

Children’s commissioner: ‘There’s still time to do right by young people on assessment’

A teacher’s view: How to avoid a repeat of the 2020 results debacle

Another head said that they have “wept through frustration of not being listened to” and that they “could write a novel on the insanity of this year”.

SQA assessment system ‘causing stress for teachers and students’

A teacher, meanwhile, said that their school’s approach has “severely impacted upon [students’] mental health, with several taking panic attacks or crying during class time because of the sheer number of assessments (up to three a day) and pressure put on them”.

The teacher added: “It’s tragic to see.”

This year teachers can only base grades on “demonstrated attainment” - which means that since senior secondary students returned to school full-time after Easter there has been a rush to gather evidence, with the result that students are often sitting several tests a day, week after week. As many have pointed out, these effectively feel like a highly concentrated burst of exams, whatever the view from the likes of first minister Nicola Sturgeon on whether exams are taking place this year.

Tes Scotland exclusively revealed earlier this month that details of the exam papers provided by the SQA for internal assessments had been leaked on social media sites such as TikTok, as a result of being taken by students in different schools at different times.

Almost two-thirds of teachers (64 per cent) taking part in the SSTA survey said they had used these papers in full, with a further 33 per cent saying they had used parts of these papers

This gives further credence to claims from students that some will have an “unfair advantage”, with one teacher who took part in the survey commenting that now “every paper is in the public domain” there is “no integrity in the system and young people will have advantage and disadvantage in equal measures”.

The majority of respondents (62 per cent) said they do not think “demonstrated attainment” should be “the sole factor to be used in allocating grades this year”. Only just over a third of teachers (36 per cent) believe the evidence they have collected “truly demonstrates their pupils’ attainment”, while 78 per cent reported that they have had difficulty collecting evidence that demonstrated their students’ attainment.

Teacher professional judgement should be “the major factor” in assessment this year, according to over three-quarters of the secondary teachers who took part in the survey (76 per cent).

However, this year, unlike in 2020, teachers must base grades on “demonstrated attainment”, with “inferred attainment” - where teachers use their own professional judgement of the mark a student deserves if, for example, an assessment has not been possible - having been explicitly outlawed by the SQA.

SSTA Survey - Alternative Certification Model (ACM) - May 2021
The SSTA conducted a survey in response to the high numbers of members raising concerns regarding the Alternative Certification Model (ACM) and its impact on teachers and their pupils. https://t.co/wYJAC9qmNS

- SSTA (@SSTAtradeunion) May 28, 2021

The general secretary of the SSTA, Seamus Searson, is calling for a change in approach so that teachers are not tying themselves in knots gathering evidence and are given the flexibility to make sure students get the grades they deserve.

Mr Searson said today: “The SQA is in its own world, oblivious to the real situation in schools. It has shown little understanding of the situation in schools and the damage it is doing to pupils and teachers. The SQA’s focus is continuing to fiddle while Rome burns.

“The collecting of evidence demanded by SQA in such a short time period, without making any allowance for the disruption caused by the pandemic, is putting a heavy burden on teachers and pupils: 96 per cent of teachers said that the collection, marking and moderation of evidence has created substantial additional stress or pressure for them; 92 per cent of teachers also said that the ACM process has created substantial additional stress and pressure for their pupils.”

Mr Searson added: “More worryingly, only 36 per cent of members believed that the evidence that they have collected truly demonstrated their pupils’ attainment. This highlights the potentially high number of pupils who will get grades lower than would have been expected in a normal year.

“The SQA focus on collected evidence only, without taking into account that the disruption caused in schools will lead to a large number of disillusioned young people and very unhappy parents.

“The SQA must change its stance and allow the flexibility for teacher professional judgement in addition to the collected evidence, to ensure all young people achieve the results that they deserve.”

An SQA spokesperson said: “We fully appreciate that the impact of Covid has been extremely challenging for learners, teachers and lecturers. Everyone is working hard to ensure young people across Scotland get the qualifications they deserve. The approach to certification has been developed by the National Qualifications 2021 Group, which includes the EIS [teaching union], School Leaders Scotland, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland  and learner and parent representatives. This is a flexible framework for schools and colleges that combines professional judgement with evidence of learning.” 

“As the cabinet secretary [for education, Shirley-Anne Somerville] confirmed in Parliament, the outcomes of the appeals consultation will be announced next week. This is a very important part of the overall model. Learners and teaching staff should be reassured that a comprehensive appeals process will be in place in good time.”