Scotland’s new education secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, will make a statement to Parliament next week on what the appeals process will be for national qualifications this year.

Ms Somerville revealed her plan to make a statement in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, after an urgent question from Labour education spokesperson Michael Marra.

Mr Marra asked for an update on the publication of details on the appeals process, in the wake of several missed deadlines.

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The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) had promised publication of the details of the appeals process in early May “at the latest” but the details have yet to materialise. Now just four weeks are left until schools must submit most students’ provision grades, by 25 June.

Schools still waiting for details on SQA appeals process

Mr Marra said that schools needed to know immediately what the appeals process was going to be so they could gather the appropriate evidence. He said that the SQA delays showed “a level of contempt” for parents, students and teachers across Scotland.

Ms Somerville said, in response, that the government’s goal was that learners “get the right and fair result first time”.

She added: “Nonetheless, I appreciate that every approach must allow for appeals and we must ensure that we get this right and deliver a fair and credible process for that, too. We are working hard with the Scottish Qualifications Authority to do exactly that and, subject to parliamentary business, I intend to make a statement to Parliament on this next week.”

She added that there would “undoubtedly” be lessons to be learned about how things could have been done better at the end of the process, as there would be with other aspects of the government’s response to the pandemic.

Ms Somerville added: “I would say that everyone - and I would include the SQA in that - have worked very, very hard to ensure that we have worked right across the education sector, and with all stakeholders, to deliver a system for assessments this year that will be robust, which young people can have faith in, which employers, universities and colleges can have faith in

“And I hope that we can unite across the chamber...to ensure that young people know we all have faith in the results that they will get, and we all have faith in the system that will then allow them to go on to the positive destinations that I hope they will do.”

Earlier, first minister Nicola Sturgeon had set out the priorities for the first 100 days of government.