In thinking delaying exams won’t help?

[NotDonna]

I’m posting to try to understand the issues better. Delaying exams seems futile. It won’t really address the inequalities in education. Wouldn’t CAGs be fairer? Are ranking, algorithms etc really necessary?

I’m not a teacher but used to work in HE many moons ago. On my course students were assessed by lecturers continuously. Essays and exam papers were internally moderated and then externally moderated. Im pretty sure there was no ranking or algorithms involved. I know Gove put an end to continuous assessment (foolish I think). But that would then provide ‘evidence’, wouldn’t it?

I’m trying to understand why this can’t happen with schools. Are the number of kids just too huge to moderate thoroughly? Take too long?
Would the ‘evidence’ be an issue leading to teachers constantly having to test, test, test. What was wrong with continuous assessment?
It’s difficult but I don’t see the solution being delayed exams. But again, maybe I’m missing something?
YABU - delaying exams is the best option
YANBU - delaying exams still won’t be fair

Hi @waterofthehills - yep - my degree was like that! Yes - there is an examining process that checks marking and internal moderation process have been applied properly in accordance with uni's regulations and subject's marking criteria.

yes, I think that may be a skewed view!

The plate glass unis in the late 80s/early 90s started this whole module thing pretty much : so that is how they sold themselves to a lot of students. it was the USP of York,UEA, Lancaster, Hull and Warwick (plus I think Bath) at the time.

Gove, of course, was at Oxford at that precise time. His whole influence on education has been shaped by his own pretty rarefied experiences (well, for most of us : not so much in political circles...)

Underprividlidged kids are at more of a disadvantage while out of school and catch up while in school (there are plenty of stats which demonstrate this after summer breaks) so delaying exams would be likely to help somewhat.

Indeed, but reducing content would help as well/even more.

Please don't tar us all with same brush, Piggy. I wouldn't want to be in the same category of anything as Gove. And don't worry, I went to a state school and have worked away in the public sector ever since, busily not influencing anything . I was simply curious about degree moderation, that's all.

Alright - I'll throw my selfish hat into the ring. I teach a GCSE subject and I'm supposed to be getting married 3 weeks after the usual exam window. We postponed from this year which was shit but... if weddings can happen next year I'd quite like to have a weekend off for it - mentally and physically. That couldn't happen if we were in an exam period.

@Piggywaspushed

Indeed, but reducing content would help as well/even more.

Schools and teachers teach the subjects in different orders. Taking things out of the syllabus is grossly unfair to the kids who did them pre covid closures as they dont benefit and still have to learn everything else. Just changing who is disadvantaged rather than solving anything.

Wouldn't dream of it water : don't worry!

@Piggywaspushed

Indeed, but reducing content would help as well/even more.

I see how that works for gcse English lit & history as it won’t effect knowledge/skills going into A level or other further study. Could this be achieved with Maths & sciences? There’s already quite a leap from Gcse to A level. Similarly reducing content in A levels. Would that result in a gap going into further study at degree level? I can see how it may be easier to reduce content for A levels as A2 stuff won’t have been covered in the 1st year (AS). I’d imagine there’s more uniformity in what is taught when across all schools/6th forms etc.

I don't think it would cause problems for uni in all honesty. My experience of maths is that they always manage to get through content and do a lot of consolidation so may not have the issue of other subjects.

Science are always saying on here that stuff was added to the GCSEs form A Level content. I am sure it could be booted out again if it came to it.

Ahh that’s interesting piggy
On the radio they are saying that a decision re delaying exams will be made ‘soon’. Soon, would be good.

It's obviously going to happen! The minute the Telegraph says it might, it does...

Our term ends 2nd July .........

The school for my year 11 provided absolutely zero work for them. I do not have a year 10 child so unsure what they provided for them either, overall my DD was left with absolutely nothing to do or work towards since March. They did put out some A Level work in July but they still hadn’t had their results so hadn’t chosen all of their A Levels properly so that was hard to do. Not all kids CBA to do anything - some were given nothing to do!

Under normal circumstances those children would not have had much of anything anyway. there is unnecessary panic tbh about year 11s not being given work to do.

It sounds like they were actually given some bridging work in July which seems more than appropriate to me.

Surely they had chosen A Level subjects back in about January??

Is that a private school baaahhh? I assume their closing dates will influence rearranged exams, logistics wise.

Piggywaspushed Yes. We were rather looking forward to an early long holiday somewhere nice. The date seems particularly early next year, not sure why, Easter being early maybe?

Yes if they decide to do it, it needs to be prompt.

With the schools that did no new content how are they approaching it? Ie is the missing content being squeezed in now

This is why I want to know now, marsha not when Nick Gibb decides to tell us!

Picgy I know it’s so frustrating! Hurry up already. I also thought that about more testing as I listened to R4 this morning.

Piggy soz!

@Piggywaspushed

In my DD’s case she got 7’s and 6’s in mostly everything and then got a 4 in English due to poor teaching in year 11, which automatically wiped out 9 of the A Level options. Therefore, the options she wanted to take she couldn’t get into the courses. The prep work was no use. And she’s not the only child in that position, you should have seen the queue to the hall for changing options on results day!

We worried this was going to happen as she had gone from working at a 6 in English in years 8,9 & 10 to suddenly dropping to a 3 in year 11. She’s not a lazy child either.

Point is she had no contact with school from March to July, so even resits are an absolute waste of time how would she resit English with a 6 month gap? If they left the year 10’s with virtually nothing to do they will be in a similar position

I’d assumed that the delaying of exams was for both GCSEs and A levels but is that correct or is it just GCSEs? Seems odd to do one and not the other.

@Baaaahhhhh my sons school finishes on 2nd July next year too. Though he is in year 9 so not too much of an issue. But it will be for the year 11's/13's.

I am also thinking that many teachers/families will have moved their holidays from this summer to next summer based on the school holiday dates already published?