2021 exams announcement gives Falkirk pupils clarity

The EIS says Deputy First Minister John Swinney's announcement has given teachers much-needed clarity that will help them prepare pupils for all-important qualifications.

Margaret Wilson, chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, and also Falkirk Area Parent Forum , said she hoped it would give pupils confidence that appropriate grades will be awarded.

She said: “There is no decision that is going to please everyone in this situation; whether parents/carers, teachers and support staff and most importantly our children and young people.

"The pressures faced by families, coping with stress created by the pandemic, sometimes losing employment, supporting home learning whilst balancing many other issues has been significant.

"Our young people have been through a significantly stressful time and we welcome this announcement which we trust will give sufficient time for our teachers, schools and education authorities to make sufficient plans.

"Most importantly, we trust that our children and young people will secure confidence in knowing that there is a plan to ensure that appropriate grades are awarded which directly reflect their level of learning, not their postcode or the past performance of their school.”

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Mr Swinney said Higher and Advanced Higher exams will go ahead if possible, starting on May 13.

However, there will be no National 5 exams, with pupils' work being judged by teacher assessments and coursework.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Teachers and pupils are already working towards next year’s award. This announcement provides welcome – if overdue – clarity for schools.

“The most important consideration is the need to ensure that all students receive appropriate recognition for their achievements, and the EIS is confident that a system based on teacher professional judgement provides a sound basis for the awarding of qualifications.

"It is possible that the collective response to the current challenging circumstances may actually help to pave the way for a better system of senior phase assessment in the future.”

A Falkirk Council spokesperson said: “We are working closely with all schools to make sure we have a consistent approach to learning and teaching and assessment in line with the SQA course requirements.”

> Kirsty Paterson is the Local Democracy Reporter for Falkirk

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