To think it’s time to cancel the 2021 exams

[Exams2021]

It just seems impossible with so much disruption and no end to that in sight and also the massive discrepancy between regions. Aibu to think we need to pack in the exams, use teacher asses grades and spend the rest of the year trying to fill gaps so year 11s have the full range of knowledge to allow them to move forward?

I think it's a great opportunity to overhaul the academic year. The reasons for having an extended summer holiday are no longer required (to bring the harvest in) and so I would keep everyone in their current year groups until next Christmas, thus extending this year by a term, and go to a semester arrangement. The next cohort would be tricky, as they would have to adjust the intake from the next year's reception levels, but it would give everyone an extra term to prepare for exams without cancelling all together. I think the exams should go ahead, but the schools should be able to only cover 2/3rds of the curriculum and exam results adjusted accordingly. The school would have to nominate the areas they had covered in advance.

Whether any of that is realistic at a time when the teaching staff are on their knees I don't know.

A couple of basic GCSE grades could be all it takes to get them into college and on the right path.

And how would cancelling exams and basically setting them free into the world from January (you wouldn’t get them back into school) be better at keeping them away from a life of crime than at least attempting to keep them in school and working towards something?

Cancelling exams in January (results not out till August) isn’t going to keep kids in school and off the streets.

Alot of you are in favour of cancelling exams. If this were to happen the alternative would somehow need to keep yr 11 and 13 engaged for the next 6 months!!

Time to cancel this years exams and concentrate on the yr10s and 12s.

What should I tell my year 13 then? Good luck with your future but your time is now past!

He is a hard worker but has suffered along with a lot of other people with isolation and not being able to discuss any lesson issues with his teachers. They have been great but teaching science A levels online is tough and there are concepts that are incredibly tricky to pick up without further help if you get stuck.

Videos and textbooks can only teach so much - otherwise, why bother teaching them in person anyway.

I still can't believe some universities increased their grade requirements for 2021 entry

I agree

Having said that ds2 has a applied to 4 unis and they have all lowered theirs!

SEND issues - How do we assess and grade kids with SEND?

All things will depend upon the type and effects of the SEND, but still...

DS achieves (much) better in exams. Surprisingly so for most teachers.
Why - we use classroom teaching and interim test results to pinpoint where he / teaching is going wrong (or not). We use this to refine the IEP. We also pay for private help.

DS is not unusual in this. This continual assessment is the way IEPs are reviewed and adjusted throughout the pupils time at school.
Should then teachers use this continual assessment info to grade these kids?

How is the current hokey cokey system coping with SEND pupils?

@noblegiraffe

A couple of basic GCSE grades could be all it takes to get them into college and on the right path.

And how would cancelling exams and basically setting them free into the world from January (you wouldn’t get them back into school) be better at keeping them away from a life of crime than at least attempting to keep them in school and working towards something?

Cancelling exams in January (results not out till August) isn’t going to keep kids in school and off the streets.

Obviously they are not set free until September, they still need to do work instead of exams, assessments or some such.

Obviously they are not set free until September, they still need to do work instead of exams, assessments or some such.

They won’t show up for this and if they do show up they wouldn’t actually put any effort in.

Noblegiraffe seems naive in the extreme!

Well then they don't get their GCSEs, obviously they need to work towards something. I'm not saying hand them out like sweets.
I just don't think the exams are fair this year for reasons already stated by everyone else. There's too much of a disparity between all the students for it to be fair.

Sorry, Yardley, naive about what?

If they do cancel the exams then school attendance should be mandatory when they are open/working from home in order to get their certificates, they can still study the subjects as there will be topics not yet covered in as much detail as normal due to the times schools were closed in the spring term.

@RilkeanHeart

I wouldn’t bank on next years year 13s having “normal experience” as they have gaps from GCSE knowledge and also have had a lot of disruption this year I do hope those doing exams in 2022 will find that things are more normal and that they’ve had more time in school than the year above them. If not (ie if we have another year of this), then the world is going to be in a very grim place. But frankly, it’s awful for all of them, whichever year they’re in.

I hope they do get the chance to sit exams in 2021 as the A-levels that year will be the kids who didnt sit GCSEs. this year. I have DD in year 12 who didnt sit GCSEs and now DS in year 11 who is due to sit this summer. I hope they pull them, they got very little online teaching for the first few months and have just sat mocks. On the bright side DS is very chilled about the whole thing!

I don't think nobelgiraffe is naive- some DC will
continue to remain focussed and have continued parental support. Others will do what ever it is DC do on sink estates, when they see no point in education.

They should still go ahead. My DC Year 11 and Year 13 would be gutted not to do them.

@ExclamationPerfume it’s not just about your children though - it’s not a level playing field - some children will be massively disadvantaged if exams go ahead as normal.

@SycamoreGap I don't remember saying it was. My DC have worked so hard. If they get given grades without earning them then they will always be known as the ones who got inflated grades.

Don't be silly there not until end of may / june will be announced end of april

Also my son has a btech exam coming up very soon if he doesn't get at least the minimum pass he fails the whole thing , coursework included , seems really fair for a child in yr 11 who has missed approx 4/5 months worth of school
No one ever mentions the btechs

@ExclamationPerfume - you are saying they should go ahead. Great that your children have worked so hard, but this is not the situation that many will find themselves in and often through no fault of their own - Some won’t have even completed the syllabus and not be in anyway prepared for exams.

@donewithitalltodayandxmas

Also my son has a btech exam coming up very soon if he doesn't get at least the minimum pass he fails the whole thing , coursework included , seems really fair for a child in yr 11 who has missed approx 4/5 months worth of school No one ever mentions the btechs

I think it is worse for the BTech students - the coursework element without the face to face support in class must be incredibly difficult.

@SycamoreGap yes he has found that , lockdown showed us that my ds is very much a lear in the classroom type of person and his btech grade has slipped bit apparently back up now he is at school again , luckily he was due to do english lit last year and got a pass in predicted so at least this is one less. Also does business and IT which is a lot of coursework as well although seems to be keeping his head above water in these

No one ever mentions the btechs

You're right. My DN yr12 has a couple of Btec exams in Jan and nothing has been said about them, he doesn't know what's happening. Everything is always geared towards GCSEs/A-levels.

@YardleyX

Noblegiraffe seems naive in the extreme!

How so yardley?

YANBU