NUT: GCSE pupils suffer the serious consequences of such incoherent policies

Commenting on the NUT’s meeting today with Ofqual to consider the evidence base of its decisions taken on this year’s GCSEs, Kevin Courtney, Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said:

“The NUT is very pleased  that Ofqual has written to the Education Secretary and Ofsted raising a concern that if they  are to meet their statutory responsibility of maintaining standards by ‘stabilising results’ then that has consequences for the way schools are assessed. This highlights the inherent contradiction in the Government’s policies on examination standards as they tell Ofqual not to let overall results go up, while at the same time telling schools they must reach a new 40% floor target of A*-C grades which obviously requires overall results to increase.

“Schools, teachers and most of all pupils are caught up in the middle of this and have suffered the serious consequences of such incoherent policies. Schools and pupils need to know where they stand. To attempt to work towards goals which can change significantly half way through a school year is ridiculous and totally unfair.

“We will be seeking urgent meetings with the Education Secretary and Ofsted to talk about these contradictory policies. The NUT will be continuing to press, alongside NAHT and ASCL, for an independent inquiry and a regrading, not resits, of this year’s English GCSEs.”
                                                                      
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