Caithness councillor says she hates to think of pupils missing out as schools are inundated with appeals
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A Caithness councillor says she dreads to think of any pupil missing out on a job opportunity or a university place as a result of Scotland's exam results fiasco.
Councillor Nicola Sinclair was speaking as schools found themselves inundated with appeals after this year's controversial marking system led to many pupils not achieving their expected grades.
Due to the pandemic, pupils did not sit exams and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) ran a system based on teacher assessments. However, a moderation technique was then applied by officials which led to about 125,000 estimates being downgraded.
It sparked outrage, with accusations that many students were marked down as a result of the past performance of their schools.
Councillor Sinclair, who represents Wick and East Caithness and is a member of Highland Council's education committee, said today: "I hate to think of any pupil missing their chance of a job or a place at university or college because of this."
Highland Council was not able to give a breakdown of the number of appeals but Thurso High School was believed to be dealing with hundreds of disappointed students.
A council spokesperson said: “Our Education Services is gathering the data for the total number of appeals. All priority review appeal requests from Highland Council will be submitted on August 27.”
Thurso High pupil Morven Mackenzie (16) is going to be appealing two of her National 5 exam results – PE and Modern Studies.
She said: "I think the SQA was very harsh with grades.
"I was a bit upset because I thought I could have done better if I had sat my exams. Lots of my friends are appealing – I think the school is inundated."
Morven is among the many Caithness pupils returning to school this week after five months at home. First-year pupils will start at Wick and Thurso on Wednesday, with the other years being introduced over the next two days.
Among the pupils at Wick not achieving the results they expected was 17-year-old Emma Mackay, who was sitting her Highers this year and was given a lower grade in her Modern Studies.
Her mother Claire Mackay said: "They actually downgraded what the teacher estimated. It is pretty upsetting.
"It is really difficult as a parent as you have a child who is absolutely devastated. It is a shame, it spoilt such an important event for them. It would be awful if it happened again next year."
She explained that things had not gone well for Emma when she did her prelims at the beginning of December, pointing out that the results were based on that and not her potential. Emma, who would rather have sat the actual exam, had hoped to go straight to university after her sixth year but it now looks like she may have to spend a year at college first.
On Monday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon apologised to pupils in Scotland after accepting her government "did not get it right" and today Scotland's education secretary John Swinney is set to outline a plan to fix the issue.
Councillor Sinclair said: "I completely understand and share parents’ concerns about the SQA exam results, and I have already had some correspondence with parents about this.
"I can appreciate it’s a difficult task for the SQA, especially when the projected grades don’t marry up with data trends.
"However, our young people aren’t data and these aren’t normal times.
"To adjust exam results based on historic exam performance of schools is a very blunt instrument and one that will disproportionately affect schools in areas of deprivation. This makes it a particular concern for Caithness and my own ward.
"I’d far rather put my faith in the professional judgement of the teachers who know these young people and understand their various challenges and achievements.
"Furthermore, if ever there was a time to cut young people a little slack, it’s surely now – can allowances not be made for the enormous logistical, academic and emotional challenges they’ve faced along with the rest of us during Covid?
"I spoke to the Highland Council chair of education about the exam results shortly after they came out, and understand a paper will come to the next education committee to allow us to consider these issues in more detail.
"I welcome that and want to reassure local parents that I totally understand their worries and sympathise. I am encouraged that the Scottish Government appears to have heard these concerns and hope they’ll take swift action to address it."
