SQA examination outcomes throughout Scotland are WORSE than final yr, it has emerged after a chaotic begin to outcomes day noticed 1000’s of scholars despatched clean certificates.
The quantity passing with the highest grades has fallen barely from 2023 – with the move fee at Larger ranges falling again to pre-Covid ranges.
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This yr’s outcomes confirmed that 77.2 per cent of these sitting Nationwide 5 exams handed with grades A to C – that is down from 78.8 per cet in 2023.
For Highers, 74.9 per cent of scholars handed with the highest bands, down from 77.1 per cent final yr.
For Superior Highers, 75.3 per cent of scholars achieved A to C grades, falling from 79.8 per cent in 2023.
Nonetheless, the Scottish {Qualifications} Authority (SQA) careworn “vital warning” ought to be exercised when evaluating outcomes.
It’s because adjustments throughout and after the coronavirus pandemic imply that totally different approaches have been utilized in awarding exams yearly since 2019.
The Scottish Authorities mentioned the outcomes confirmed the affect of the poverty-related attainment hole, which has been described as an “all-time excessive”.
Younger individuals throughout Scotland ought to have woken up this morning to thrilling information – as an alternative they’ve woken as much as a brand new degree of SQA chaos
Pam Duncan-Glancy
They acknowledged that outcomes have been “broadly comparable” to 2019 – the final yr of pre-pandemic outcomes.
Training Secretary Jenny Gilruth mentioned additionally that the restoration from the pandemic would have “contributed to a few of the variability we have now seen in outcomes this yr”.
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She spoke as some 145,000 college students throughout Scotland – the best quantity since 2015 – acquired their outcomes this morning.
Nonetheless, a technical glitch noticed 7,000 college students who had signed as much as be notified by electronic mail obtain clean outcomes messages.
Dad and mom and college students alike blasted the examination physique for the error, saying it added anxiousness to an already “disturbing sufficient” day.
Scottish Labour Training spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy hit out on the “chaotic” scenario, including that it was “merely unacceptable”.
She mentioned: “Younger individuals throughout Scotland ought to have woken up this morning to thrilling information – as an alternative they’ve woken as much as a brand new degree of SQA chaos.
“It’s merely unacceptable that 1000’s of younger individuals have been compelled to bear actual anxiousness as a consequence of this SQA technical failure.
“The outcomes communicate for themselves – the poverty-related attainment hole is at its highest ever degree, whereas attainment has additionally fallen for all.
Younger individuals in Scotland have been badly let down and the First Minister and the Cupboard Secretary can’t keep away from duty
Pam Duncan-Glancy
“Larger move charges are equal to the bottom degree on document and move charges are effectively under the pre-pandemic normal.
“Regardless of the perfect efforts of lecturers, workers and Scotland’s younger individuals, they’re being compelled to pay the value of 17 years of SNP failure and SQA chaos.
“Younger individuals in Scotland have been badly let down and the First Minister and the Cupboard Secretary can’t keep away from duty.”
SQA bosses mentioned later that they had resolved the difficulty – with a spokesperson stressing textual content outcomes weren’t impacted and the “overwhelming majority of learners” had acquired their outcomes as anticipated.
Fiona Robertson, SQA chief government, and Scotland’s chief analyzing officer, mentioned that general “whereas there may be some variability within the nationwide attainment image in 2024, it is a strong set of outcomes for learners in Nationwide 5, Larger and Superior Larger programs”.
It comes because it was revealed that future exams may very well be set for a serious shake-up, with adjustments to the present exams anticipated to be rolled out within the early days of subsequent time period.
Reforms to Scotland’s exams system shall be revealed within the coming weeks, Training Secretary Jenny Gilruth has mentioned.
The Scottish Authorities took the choice to overtake the system with the SQA to get replaced by {Qualifications} Scotland.
Talking as pupils acquired their examination outcomes at the moment, Ms Gilruth informed the BBC she had beforehand instructed the present physique to have a look at how some exams may very well be changed.
“Scotland has a excessive variety of closing exams that our younger individuals sit,” she mentioned.
How do I enchantment my grade?
EVERY yr 1000’s of pupils enchantment their grades if they do not find yourself with a grade that they are anticipating.
Pupils ought to have already got a tough concept about their anticipated outcomes based mostly on provisional grades given to them by lecturers earlier than the summer time holidays.
But when your official end result does not appear proper, then the very first thing to do is discuss to your college.
They will then attain out to the SQA in your behalf and ask on your marks to be reviewed.
All appeals shall be topic to a marking evaluation, which implies that checks are carried out to ensure they’ve been added or submitted appropriately.
To enchantment, pupils will be capable to register right here for the service from at the moment at 9am.
If your home at college will depend on situations that rely in your grade, then your enchantment will be ‘prioritised’.
Your trainer can submit a ‘precedence enchantment’ for you till midnight on Tuesday, August 13.
Some other appeals should be submitted by midnight on Tuesday, August 27.
“We’ve got excessive stakes examinations in S4, S5 and S6 and throughout (Organisation of Financial Co-operation and Improvement) nations, instructional techniques look actually totally different.
“So, what I’ve requested the SQA this yr to do is to have a look at how we’d be capable to transfer at tempo at lowering numerous examinations in a sure variety of {qualifications} – that work is already underway.”
Ms Gilruth went on to emphasize the significance of giving younger individuals “the abilities that they want for after they depart college”.
She added that maybe pupils might “thrive” as a consequence of the usage of coursework versus closing exams.
“I had hoped to … affirm these adjustments on the finish of the parliamentary time period,” she mentioned.
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“Nonetheless, as a result of election, I wasn’t ready to take action, so it is going to be within the early days of the approaching parliamentary session.”
MSPs are as a consequence of return to Holyrood after their summer time recess within the first week of September.
What can I do if I fail my examination?
EVERY yr 1000’s of pupils enchantment their grades if they do not find yourself with a grade that they are anticipating.
Pupils ought to have already got a tough concept about their anticipated outcomes based mostly on provisional grades given to them by lecturers earlier than the summer time holidays.
But when your official end result does not appear proper, then the very first thing to do is discuss to your college.
They will then attain out to the SQA in your behalf and ask on your marks to be reviewed.
All appeals shall be topic to a marking evaluation, which implies that checks are carried out to ensure they’ve been added or submitted appropriately.
To enchantment, pupils will be capable to register right here for the service from at the moment at 9am.
If your home at college will depend on situations that rely in your grade, then your enchantment will be ‘prioritised’.
Your trainer can submit a ‘precedence enchantment’ for you till midnight on Tuesday, August 13.
Some other appeals should be submitted by midnight on Tuesday, August 27.
