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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

GCSEs will be cancelled this summer!

212 replies

AKissAndASmile · 10/10/2020 23:04

So the Scottish equivalent of GCSEs have been cancelled this summer.

I posted in chat about this but barely anybody responded. Seems nobody cares because it's Scotland. I thought we were a united kingdom. Seems not. I can guarantee that if GCSEs were cancelled in England my post would have had numerous posts. Nobody cares because it's Scotland, even though during these corona days Scotland seems to be showing us a sneak preview of what will be happening in England in a few weeks. So my guess is that GCSEs will be cancelled this year soon

OP posts:

Thesheerrelief · 11/10/2020 08:27

You seem strangely angry and overwrought that people who aren't impacted aren't giving you attention on this, even though you also aren't impacted

dayswithaY · 11/10/2020 08:28

My children had their GCSEs and A levels cancelled this year and received very average grades in an unfair assessment. Most people I told, didn't care much they just shrugged and said "Oh well they've got the rest of their lives in front of them, this is nothing, what can you do."

And yet you think that if the same thing happens again this year, in Scotland where they don't live, people should care?

Some of us have already experienced it, you know.

emmathedilemma · 11/10/2020 08:28

So GCSEs aren't cancelled, Nat5's are cancelled.
I reckon you're on for a D in media studies at best.

Wolke · 11/10/2020 08:29

Completely agree OP. I can't understand why this hasn't had more media coverage. I'm a teacher and it's all we've talked about this week. Boris has followed most of Sturgeon's policies and I've no doubt England is likely to scrap GCSE exams too. There's simply too much disruption to schooling in some areas to make exams a suitable means of assessment. People are sticking their heads in the sand if they think this is news that doesn't affect them.

Purpledaisychain · 11/10/2020 08:30

@speakout

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. I think Sturgeon believes that England will just follow suit. Maybe we will. If we don't, Scotland's decision to cancel exams may become untenable. They are still attached to the UK, and decisions each country makes can have knock-on effects for the other.

daisypond · 11/10/2020 08:33

I can't understand why this hasn't had more media coverage.

It’s had loads of media coverage - when the news was announced, three days ago.

dayswithaY · 11/10/2020 08:35

But if the rest of the UK does have GCSEs cancelled it will happen two weeks before the first exam starts anyway.

GoldfishParade · 11/10/2020 08:35

Angry Scot Fumes As Nation Fails To Take Interest In Micro Niche Issue

Multiplying2020 · 11/10/2020 08:36

My DS1s GCSEs (in England) were cancelled this year. I somehow doubt you were so torn up about that OP.

I've got a lot of family in Scotland, they take their exams earlier and have different term dates, so they will announce these things earlier for them - not really rocket science, is it?

And WTF has it got to do with Independence?

Coffeeandbeans · 11/10/2020 08:37

Germany went ahead with their exams this year which meant the students got results. My son has had to sit A levels this week having had no education since March and given 12 weeks to revise a two year course. The CAGs were very unfair as some schools chose to moderate, some schools didn’t moderate, some schools have UCAS grades and others based on what they thought the child would get on the day. My sons school internally moderated the grades. My other child is sitting GCSEs next summer. If they are cancelled then I will be very upset on his behalf. It isn’t a solution just to cancel the exams. It isn’t fair.

babygroups · 11/10/2020 08:38

Angry Scot Fumes As Nation Fails To Take Interest In Micro Niche Issue

Ops said she doesn't even live in Scotland, it's not clear if she's actually even Scottish

Hobnobswantshernameback · 11/10/2020 08:41

Anyone remember there's this place called Wales and we set our own rules around education or has the op done the usual thing and assumed everything is all about England 🙄

yellowmaoampinball · 11/10/2020 08:44

I was just about to post the same Hobnob! Ironic that the OP is ranting about us being a United Kingdom and has completely forgotten to mention Wales.

GoldfishParade · 11/10/2020 08:45

@babygroups Of course she is. This is such a non issue she would have to be

RuffleCrow · 11/10/2020 08:48

I'm in England and i care. I think it's terrible young people are missing out on the chance to really show what they can do - aside from teacher spoonfeeding and parental mollycoddling! That's the great thing about exams - for the first time in your life it's just you and your pen and a couple of hours to prove yourself. Young people are so slow to gain real independence these days and I can't imagine this situation is going to help.

AChickenCalledDaal · 11/10/2020 08:49

I care. That's why I posted on the thread in the Education section which was started on the day the news broke. Keep up.

chomalungma · 11/10/2020 08:49

So my guess is that GCSEs will be cancelled this year soon

What a thread - such an awful response from people.

AIBU does have more traffic - and most of it awful and a pile on.

I do think that something needs to be done about GCSEs.

There has been such a mismatch of education. So much learning that's been missed out on. Such varied levels, plus schools being shut down, classes being sent home etc.

And there has been little from Government on this. It's pathetic. The silence is deafening.

supersky · 11/10/2020 08:50

Not sure what you're problem is OP. Honestly I don't care much about Scotland's exams being cancelled because I don't know anyone sitting exams in Scotland. It's not a huge shock either because the same thing happened this year

yellowmaoampinball · 11/10/2020 08:52

I'll be very happy if they cancel the exams in Wales. My year 11 child is neither spoonfed, mollycoddled or lacking in independence. She does all her essays/homework alone and gets great marks. She panics in exams. Always has and probably always will to a certain extent - they rarely reflect what she's actually capable of. I'm sure she will continue to have tests in class and will continue to work on exam technique ready for A levels but having had a very disrupted year 10, with more disruptions in Year 11 I expect, then I'd quite like her to have some part of this situation go her way.

babygroups · 11/10/2020 08:54

@GoldfishParade I just re-read, she's not Scottish. She's just outraged on our behalf when I can't imagine any of us are bothered if people in England post on threads about Scottish exams

I'm not Scottish. I live in England and believe GCSEs will be cancelled because Scotland has done it and BJ seems to lag behind Scotland during this pandemic. I have skin in the game and so am concerned.

Friendsoftheearth · 11/10/2020 08:58

GCSEs are going ahead in England, with a three week delay and mock exams being used as a very last resort plan B.

It is my understanding that the exams will be altered slightly to take into account the loss of learning.

An announcement is expected next week to confirm this.

I am very glad they are going ahead, children that have worked extremely hard want to continue their studies and complete their exams.

ineedaholidaynow · 11/10/2020 09:00

@Friendsoftheearth how do you know this?

chomalungma · 11/10/2020 09:01

It is my understanding that the exams will be altered slightly to take into account the loss of learning

Do you know what they have done?
Very very little to adjust for the loss of learning.
No maths changes.
Poetry dropped in English
No science changes - except that practicals are done by teachers.

There's been no discussion about altering exam papers, looking at optional topics etc.

So TBH, I will watch this space to see what happens next Summer. It's not like the Government stick to their words.

TW2013 · 11/10/2020 09:02

I too have 'skin in the game' as soon as GCSEs in the year above were cancelled she was aware that it would be a possibility for her year. She has worked her little socks off. She has demonstrated consistently good grades for her teachers. Although she desperately wants to sit them, if she doesn't then her effort has already been noticed by teachers. For her they are just a stepping stone to A levels so very soon those grades will be eclipsed by A levels which will more accurately determine her career path. All those in her year are in a similar position so University will just need to accept that. For most children now GCSEs are just a stepping stone to other courses. I teach (not at school) and the vast majority of students get similar marks in exams to those which I would have assessed them at. I have faith in her teachers and if she does get grades based on her work over the preceeding years at least it takes out the randomness due to not sleeping well the night before etc.

I think that the people who have my sympathy are those being home educated who might struggle to independently evidence their work and the year 13th who are sandwiched between the bumper A Level and GCSE year, whom Universities are strongly lobbying to sit exams and who have had most of their A level studies disrupted.

chomalungma · 11/10/2020 09:02

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@Friendsoftheearth how do you know this?[/quote]
Because there was a consultation recently and it's been announced that exams will be later.

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