Jenny Gilruth signals return to pre-Covid level of exams 'rigour' in Scotland from next year

The SQA has taken a ‘sensitive approach’ to grading this year due to the pandemic’s ongoing impact

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has spoken of her hopes that Scotland's exam system can return to pre-pandemic levels of "rigour" from next year.

The SNP minister said assessments should continue to have a “bespoke” approach that supports learners but that they needed to “get back to” the model used before the Covid-19 lockdowns caused huge disruption.

Ms Gilruth was speaking to The Scotsman as thousands of school pupils and college students across the nation were due to receive their exam results from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) on Tuesday.

School students writing answer doing exam in classroom

Scottish ministers previously announced that the SQA would be scrapped and replaced by summer next year in the wake of a controversy over its handling of assessments when exams were cancelled during the pandemic, including a notorious algorithm which lowered many grades.

However, the legislation to establish a new qualifications body was recently delayed by Ms Gilruth.

On Monday, she confirmed that she expected the SQA to be in charge of next year’s exams, but that the new body would be up-and-running for the following year.

With this year’s exam results, the SQA has said it recognised that the pandemic was continuing to have an impact on teaching and learning, and as a result it had again designed a “package of support”, which included modifications to course assessments, an exam exceptional circumstances service, a “sensitive approach” to grading and a direct appeals service.

The body has not provided details of its “sensitive approach” to grading, but has promised to explain further on Tuesday.

Lindsay Paterson, Edinburgh University professor of education policy, said on Sunday that there would be a tough choice in the coming years between continuing to make assessments “easier”, which he said would risk “permanently depressing” standards, or alternatively to return to pre-pandemic arrangements, which might be “unfair” on many pupils who suffered disruption during the pandemic and teacher strikes.

Asked if a “sensitive approach” to grading would continue next year, Ms Gilruth said: "Next year, of course, I made the decision to delay legislation on the new qualifications organisation, so it will be SQA next year but the following year it will be the new organisation following the legislation that will come forward next year.

"In terms of the sensitive approaches, it will be an operational matter for the SQA, but next year we will have the reintroduction of a number of the qualifications requirements for the first time since 2019, so I would expect the exam organisation to work with our schools, to work with our teachers, who of course mark our exams, to be make sure we do have that bespoke approach that supports our young people but also protects rigour within the system as well.

"I think that’s where we need to get back to, that’s what we had before the pandemic.”

The SQA has already said that coursework and exams that were removed due to the pandemic would return for session 2023/24, with an approach to grading to be confirmed in “due course”.

As she met staff from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) at a “results helpline” centre in Edinburgh, Ms Gilruth said she expected this year’s exam results to run smoothly, following controversies during the pandemic.

“I’m as confident I think as I can be. We have had challenges, undoubtedly, during the pandemic, but we’ve moved forward from that and tomorrow I think will be a really important day for our young people who have lived through disruption to their education, who have lived through a pandemic and who are now obviously experiencing their exam results,” she said.

"I’m excited as education secretary to celebrate of course with some of our young people tomorrow, and also I recognise this will be a challenging time for some of our young people, so it’s really important we have that support in place, which is why SDS’s work on the national helpline is hugely important.”

Ms Gilruth was also asked about plans for strike action by non-teaching staff in schools in 10 council areas next month, with members of the GMB and Unite having backed the walk-outs amid a fresh dispute over pay.

The strikes would involve school janitors, cleaners, caterers, classroom assistants and administrative staff. Unison is currently balloting its members.

The unions say the dispute has escalated after council umbrella body COSLA failed to improve on the 5 per cent pay offer during talks last week.

The education secretary said: “Well obviously it’s very disappointing but I very much recognise the democratic right that our trade unions have to take industrial action.

"I recognise though that this a matter for COSLA. Discussions are ongoing. I heard one of the union representatives on the BBC this morning. He hoped to avert strike action, and I would very much encourage trade unions to continue to work with COSLA on this.

"It’s worth saying that the Scottish Government has provided an additional £155 million to help support these pay deals, recognising it has been a really challenging time for our local authorities, particularly in relation to cost-of-living and inflation pressures.

"But more broadly we would encourage COSLA and the trade unions to come back to the table to renegotiate, because at the end of the day, nobody wants to see our schools close again.

"We’ve been through a really challenging time through the pandemic and I’m sure we all want to avert that action again.”