Ex-SNP minister and Tories label exams fiasco 'unforgivable'

Former minister Alex Neil MSP called on the Scottish Government to “reverse” the downgrade of results across the country.

Alex Neil has labelled the exams results "unforgivable"

Former SNP minister Alex Neil has called on the Scottish Government to reverse its decision to downgrade a quarter of all pupil’s grades at this year’s exam results as pressure continues to mount on the education secretary.

Mr Neil, who served in Nicola Sturgeon’s cabinet from 2014 to 2016, said the decision was “unforgivable”, a sentiment echoed by new Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, the SNP MSP said: “[The government] must reverse the decisions it made about examination results that saw the poorest children in many of the most deprived areas downgraded on the altar of a manufactured algorithm prepared in secret.”

Mr Neil is the first SNP politician to break ranks and criticise the government for its decision which saw 26 per cent of grades changed.

Freshly crowned Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross called on the future of young people to be put first and reiterated calls for the education secretary John Swinney to be sacked.

Mr Swinney is likely to be subject to a no-confidence motion from Scottish Labour next week when the Scottish Parliament returns following recess, a move backed by the Tories with the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Greens considering their position ahead of the education secretary’s expected statement this week.

Reports over the weekend suggested that around 40 per cent of exam results for A-level students in England would also be reduced, more than the proportion in Scotland, using a similar methodology.

Mr Ross, who represents Moray in Westminster, said: “I agree with Alex Neil that downgrading pupils based on where they live is unforgivable.

“The futures of young people must be put first, ahead of these lofty arguments about the credibility of the system. If pupils have earned their grades in an exam, then they should receive those grades this year, considering the exceptional circumstances of the past six months.

“The answer to this scandal cannot simply be a lengthy appeals process going at a snail’s pace because the SQA don’t have the necessary resources.

“That’s not good enough and Scotland’s pupils and parents deserve far better. Young people cannot be held back any longer from getting on with training and university places.

“We’ve all got to be prepared to put country before party, as I have in the past, and Nicola Sturgeon must do that now and remove Mr Swinney.

“There’s a simple choice here for the First Minister. Either she backs Scotland’s pupils or she backs an education secretary that has presided over this exams fiasco, the worst ever PISA results, subject choice limitations and a host of other disappointments.”

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