Why was there not a clear plan B for exams

[Whywasther55]

Just that really why when it was a clear likelihood did the DFE not have a clear plan in place for exams instead of leaving us all in limbo. Aibu to be livid we have been left in limbo?

@Rosie2000

We are pushing for a plan c for the current year 10s, you won’t hear anything about that though until Spring 2022 I imagine

Its fucking ludicrous

@Twiddlet

They didn’t guarantee exams in exam halls with external moderators would go ahead. They said pupils would still be tested / assessed.

"GCSEs and A-Levels will “absolutely” go ahead next year, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said on Thursday.

Mr Williamson said he had “every confidence” the Government will be able to run a whole set of exams in the summer of 2021."

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/gavin-williamson-says-exams-will-e2-80-98absolutely-e2-80-99-go-ahead-in-2021/ar-BB1bAB4K

From December. We all heard him. Which is why it's extraordinary you seem to be claiming something different.

Well, at least teacher assessment is one in the eye for Gove, who hated teachers, called them the blob and made children take final exams and not be assessed on coursework.

CAGs will be worse this year.

The overwhelming message to year 11/13 now is keep working. It all still counts!

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

CAGs will be worse this year.

The overwhelming message to year 11/13 now is keep working. It all still counts!

But that’s the point schools don’t know if it will “count” it could all be cor nothing that’s why it’s so unfair

The plan or even ‘vague plan’ that they’ve come up with seems reasonable to me. It largely seemed to work last year.

You what? Where were you in August?!!

@Wearywithteens

Getridofgav5 - that’s a right of passage she’s more than happy to be robbed of! And I’m no Tory apologist - whenever I see or hear GW I’m reminded of Rod Liddle’s description of him as (I paraphrase) ‘a deflated pigs bladder on a stick’ - he is a joke. But I do sympathise with the not pleasing all of the people all of the time. The plan or even ‘vague plan’ that they’ve come up with seems reasonable to me. It largely seemed to work last year. Or am I missing something? What are people so angry about? Or is this just a hating Tory thing?

They have had months to come up with a clear plan and done nothing why was there not a clear plan B?

Worked last year 🤣🤣🤣

I don’t hate torries at all I actually voted for them what I didn’t vote for was the incompetence of you ask me they need a safe pair of hands to replace Gav not sure who tho maybe truss?

Worked last year 😂😂

Whatever ofqual decide, the work done from now has to be included.

Access to lessons isn't the barrier it was in March. Students can come into the building if they don't have ICT access.

Last year's results were an absolute shambles. Who on earth could have missed that?

Last year for example, they could have closed schools to all bar the exam classes, who would then have had enough space to work in and could have taken exams. This is what other countries did. But we mustn't learn from other countries - we must be world beating.

We could have had socially distanced exams in marquees last year. There were even kids back in school by then.

Gav has the tendency to make announcements and then expect everyone else to fill in the details. And he doesn't know enough so his announcements are often bollocks.

@Wearywithteens

I knew several friends whose children had GCSEs last year - and my child took one. From a parental point of view no one really said much about it... they didn’t moan about the grades given or say it was unfair or were pissed off they didn’t sit exams. It all seemed (again from a parental point of view) that it was the best option given the March lockdown...people seemed more upset about the lack of transition for sixth forms and no proper goodbyes/prom etc.

I am surprised to hear you say that why on earth where they not angry about their dc being downgraded by an algorithm?

@noblegiraffe

We could have had socially distanced exams in marquees last year. There were even kids back in school by then.

Gav has the tendency to make announcements and then expect everyone else to fill in the details. And he doesn't know enough so his announcements are often bollocks.

Sadly I think this is true

@Rosie2000

We are pushing for a plan c for the current year 10s, you won’t hear anything about that though until Spring 2022 I imagine

It's unbelievable that they won't even look into a plan c for practical subjects that can't be done remotely eg DT

they didn’t moan about the grades given or say it was unfair or were pissed off they didn’t sit exams

Its weird how people are different isnt it

The grades were unfair til the cags were used, dd was given the wrong grade and she was pissed that she didnt sit the exams

@Calmandmeasured1

What clear plan can you come up with for exams? Why are you in limbo? Aren't teachers going to award grades for pupils? Isn't that clear? Are you a teacher?

I am a teacher, and no, it is not at all clear how we are supposed to do it.

They weren't down graded because CAGs got used in the end.

Look at the miniscule resit entries to see how many students disagreed with or thought they could to better than their grades given (not English and maths because they resit anyway).

This year is different because staff and students know about it in advance.

Teachers need clarity eventually. Right now a guarantee their work from now counts is enough.

Not all DCs were downgraded by the algorithm - independent schools seemed to do quite well out of it?

Best quote re the algorithm was

The correct grades were handed out...to the wrong people

Iget that the DfE should have plan A, B and C and vague announcements don’t help but at this point in the year what else can they do? It’s got to be teacher assessments or crap algorithms...hasn’t it

They should have had a plan since AUGUST

Thats what im pissed about...they wasted months when they could have said

We will go all out for exams ....but plan B we will use cags and this is the information we need

[quote noblegiraffe]Do you know what the DfE have spent their time doing recently? During a pandemic? Setting up their own teacher training institute because they don't trust schools and universities to do it properly.

There are already many routes into teaching and we're in the middle of a pandemic.

This was announced 2nd January.

www.tes.com/news/knowledge-based-itt-1k-teachers-year-dfe[/quote]
Oh my goodness! You are kidding me? I’m lost for words other than expletives!