When I was at school, the best grade you could hope to achieve on your termly report card was A5, with A being the highest grade for attainment, and 5 being the lowest grade for effort. I expect there will be a lot more students hoping for, and outright expecting, their own A5s this summer.
In light of the news that GCSEs and A-levels exams will be cancelled this year, Ofqual has now confirmed that grades will be decided by teachers. Schools can use mock exams, coursework and essays, or assessments set by exam boards, but these are optional, will not be taken in exam conditions, nor decide final grades. Make no mistake: this is going to be a disaster.
Gavin Williamson has insisted that the government is putting ‘trust in teachers’, but it feels more like the government is relinquishing responsibility. Of course nobody wants to repeat the mutant algorithm fiasco of last summer, but teacher-assessed grades are not the answer.
The government has effectively created a system where nice guys really do finish last
Firstly, the system is likely to lead to widespread grade inflation.
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