'DEEPLY UNFAIR'

Coronavirus Scotland: Exam results could be lowered due to ‘secret and unfair’ system after Covid-19 crisis

SCOTTISH school pupils could receive lower grades from the SQA due to a "secret and unfair" system.

Concerns have been raised by The Scottish Greens over the SQA adjusting pupils' grades based on school performance history.

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, teachers will be entering estimated grades for students.

But the SQA has said it will "moderate" the results, based on historical performances of the school, not the pupil.

Education experts have joined The Greens in warning that this could mean unfair results for pupils, as well as deepening inequalities in education.

Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer has pushed the agency to reveal its methodology and results of a legally-required Equalities Impact Assessment.

Mr Greer said: "This secret grading system ingrains inequality by marking down those who already face more adversity, no matter how hard they have worked on their coursework.

"Teachers won't be informed that the SQA are changing their submitted grades, never mind being given the opportunity to discuss this.

"This is deeply unfair and is only creates far more work down the line when a vast number of pupils appeal their grades.

"The SQA are undermining not only the professional judgment of teachers but the hard work of pupils with this secret moderation process.

"The agency must publish its methodology and the legally required Equality Impact Assessment now, so teachers can have confidence it is robust and know what to expect when the results come in."

But the SQA have said this will only happen after results are delivered to pupils - despite concerns from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that the proposed grading system may be illegal.

Pupils in schools that have seen the biggest recent improvement in results are at risk of having their grades undermined by historical results.

Research by the Scottish Greens shows the following schools have seen improvements in passes of five or more Highers of around 20% since 2015/16: Whitehill Secondary School in Glasgow, Mallaig High School in the Highlands, West Calder High and St Kentigern's Academy in West Lothian, Holy Cross High in South Lanarkshire and Dunblane High School and Dunblane High School.

Mr Greer added: "These schools have worked hard to improve the chances and opportunities for their pupils, but this hard work could now be seriously undermined by a secret SQA system which reduces the hard work of young people to a statistical average and postcode lottery."