NICOLA Sturgeon has offered reassurance on the appeals process for students sitting assessments in Scotland this year.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government is "taking great care" over the process for students to appeal a grade they are awarded through a modified assessment process due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Although exams in Scotland have been cancelled due to the disruption caused by Covid-19, students have been sitting assessments since schools re-opened so teachers can provide evidence to back up their grade estimates.
The estimates are generated from three to four pieces of work from pupils so teachers can provide a final grade to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
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As grades awarded to students sitting National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will have their grades awarded based on teacher estimates, there has been a public consultation ongoing into how the appeals process will work.
Scottish Labour have called on the details of the appeals process to be released as soon as possible with all estimated grades having to be submitted by June 25.
Scottish Labour education spokesman Michael Marra has now written to new Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, calling for clarity on the process.
He called on Somerville to publish the SQA appeals process and guarantee resits for any pupil who wants one, and to set out a “no detriment” policy for accessing higher or further education.
Asked about the appeals process, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We’re taking great care over these decisions, it’s important that we try to get the system for appeals right and we’ve been listening carefully to some of the representations that have been made from people, including the children’s commission.
“I personally had discussions with education officials about it this week to make sure we get the details of it right.
“The details of it are being finalised and we do expect to publish the details of what the appeals process looks like very soon.
“I hope that it will give a lot of reassurance to young people that – if they feel when they get the grade that is awarded to them that they are not happy with that – then they have the ability to go through an appeals process.
“But I hope people will understand, given the situation we’re in right now, that we’re taking time and the SQA is taking time.”
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An SQA spokesman said: “The outcomes of the appeals consultation are currently being finalised, following the public consultation.
“We aim to announce details of the appeals process imminently.
“Learners should be reassured that a comprehensive appeals process will be in place in good time.
“The current focus should be on maximising teaching and learning and the gathering of evidence to support the development of provisional grades.”
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