SENIOR pupils sitting their NQ exams will not now need to be in class today, after the Scottish Government moved to change advice on completing coursework.
Last Thursday, Education Secretary John Swinney (pictured right) announced that for the first time since they were first introduced in 1888, Scotland’s exam diet would not be going ahead.
He told MSPs the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) will “put in place a certification model using coursework, teacher assessment of estimated grades and prior attainment.”
However, there were concerns over the weekend after a number of councils and schools told S4, S5, S6 pupils to come in this week to complete coursework or even to sit new assessments and prelim exams.
Perth and Kinross, Angus, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, Orkney, North Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, Western Isles, Clackmannanshire, were among the councils opening schools for senior pupils.
Some students were even told that schools were operating as normal and that they should wear their uniforms.
On Saturday, thousands signed a petition calling on the SQA to “cancel the uplift of assessable unit work/coursework for examination”.
The petition said that this had “led to teachers now being told to report to work, which compromises their safety. Senior pupils, worried about their grades are now considering risking their health to complete folios. This flies in the face of current advice.
“Unprecedented circumstances should dictate unprecedented responses. For this year the only sensible option is to apply estimates and close schools to all except the vulnerable kids and the children of key workers. With of course a rota of skeleton staff. Use grade estimates and teachers professional judgement for this year’s awards.”
One secondary teacher, Andrew Bailey, shared a letter he sent to his MSP and MP, because he was so concerned about “the unnecessary health risk of continued SQA assessments”.
He said the completion of coursework “places students and their families at an unnecessary health risk”.
“It needs to be recognised now it is totally unnecessary for any further coursework or assessments to be completed in what are truly exceptional circumstances.”
There should, he added, be “no need for any coursework this session to be externally marked. If we rightly place our trust in the teaching profession and their ability to fairly and professional estimate work, external marking is unnecessary.”
There were also concerns that as not all councils were opening schools this week, which meant some pupils would have an opportunity to sit more prelims to up their estimates, while others, through no fault of their own, would not.
Speaking yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon made clear senior pupils should not be in class.
She said: “I also want to announce a further change to the advice that the Deputy First Minister set out last Thursday on the completion of coursework, for young people taking SQA National Qualifications, and this change comes about because of the escalation of the public health advice around social distancing that I set out on Friday.
“With immediate effect, no young person with coursework to complete should attend school to do so.
“If coursework can be completed remotely then these arrangements will be put in place by schools.
“The SQA chief examiner fully agrees with this public health driven decision and will set out as soon as possible how the SQA will take account of that in the certification of young people’s qualifications and achievements.”
Green MSP Ross Greer welcomed the news: “Very welcome confirmation from @NicolaSturgeon just now,” he tweeted.
“S4-6 pupils should NOT attend school to complete coursework.
“The SQA agree and pupils will not be penalised.”
Meanwhile, the Government published advice for parents and carers on how to talk about coronavirus with their children.
The new hub of information is on parentclub.scot.
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