Friday 29 March 2024
 7°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Education / MSYP supports decision to call off exams

THE DECISION to cancel higher and advancer higher exams next year has been welcomed by one of Shetland’s Scottish Youth Parliament representatives.

Jonathan Dorrat said he believed clarity over the exams “reduces the strain on young folk”.

The announcement was made by education secretary John Swinney on Monday, and it follows the previous cancellation of National 5 exams.

Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament Jonathan Dorrat. Photo: Shetland News

The move appears to stem from education reasons rather than health, with Swinney saying some pupils have had their learning impacted by periods of isolation.

Grades will now be based on teacher judgement of evidence of pupils’ attainment.

MSYP Dorrat said that since returning to school pupils have been learning courses in a shorter amount of time than usual with “continuous assessments added on top of the workload”.

“Shetland pupils have not been as badly affected by Covid-19 cases and isolation, with some of the highest attendance at school in Scotland here in the isles,” he said.

“However, this doesn’t mean that our learning hasn’t been impacted this year. There is a greater stress on pupils due to increased assessments, timed essays and such which are being completed.

“As one young person said to me, having to complete the extra assessments all year round – just in case the exams were cancelled – made it feel like there was no need to sit an exam anyway, so this clarity is welcomed as it reduces the strain on young folk.”

Dorrat said that in comparison pupils last year were set to sit exams when that opportunity was taken away from them, “whereas this year we have more notice of the changes and have been doing extra tests anyway”.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

“The Scottish Youth Parliament look forward to continuing our work to ensure young people’s views are meaningfully included in the Scottish Government Covid-19 Education Recovery Group.”

Chairman of Shetland Islands Council’s education and families committee George Smith also welcomed the decision.

“There will no doubt be mixed feelings amongst pupils but what is required now is absolute clarity on the assessment process and any appeals process,” he said.

“Teachers and pupils must be left in no doubt as to how this will work and how teachers’ judgements will be used.

“The role of the SQA in moderation and any appeals process must also be clear from the outset. Everyone must have confidence that the situation which arose this year with the initial downgrading of thousands of estimated grades will not be repeated next year.”

Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart, meanwhile, said she was pleased to hear Swinney’s announcement.

“It’s been clear for some time that pupils wouldn’t have an equal shot at success after this year’s disruption,” she said.

“Hard work is now needed from government, SQA and Education Scotland to get all the necessary procedures and advice on the assessment model in place for the start of the new term at the latest.”

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.