Call for answers as ‘Higher maths pass mark lowered’

OPPOSITION MSPs have demanded answers from education secretary Mike Russell after it was claimed officials working for Scotland’s qualifications body lowered the pass mark for the Higher maths exam.

Staff working for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) are said to have lowered the mark for last year’s exam to prevent an overall fall in passes across the country.

The claim was made by the organisation’s former principal assessor and chief examiner for maths, who parted company with the SQA last year.

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Labour education spokesman Hugh Henry has written to Mr Russell asking him to investigate.

Mr Henry said: “The alleged interference in the pass rate is something which could undermine confidence in the exam.”

Meanwhile, Tory education spokeswoman Liz Smith has written to the head of the SQA, Janet Brown, seeking assurances about this year’s exams.

She said: “There is a suggestion that officials put pressure on the professionals doing the marking to change the pass rate.

“It’s an allegation just now, but if it has happened, it’s a very serious matter. We need to know exactly what went on here.”

The SQA said it was satisfied the exam grade boundaries had been “set appropriately”.