This evening, Loughborough University have released a statement regarding the government U-turn on A-level results.
Last Thursday, approximately 40% of A-level results were downgraded by a computer-based system which was implemented due to the cancellation of exams. Because of this, students were told to appeal and it wasn’t until Saturday that the government announced that they would cover all appeal fees.
After days of uproar and anger, A-level and GCSE students in England will now be given the grades predicted by their teachers, rather than using the grades formulated by the previous algorithm. There are even calls for Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, to resign due to his handling of this year’s results. However, BTEC and other vocational qualifications are not included in the government U-turn.
A study by SFCA, even shows that grades awarded by the algorithm were actually worse than previous years rather than it being a level playing field by ~20%. This evening, SFCA also responded to the change in results.
Loughborough University has stated that:
“we place our students and their interests at the heart of what we do. The University is presently digesting the implications of the announcement made today by the Governments of England and Wales regarding A Level results and the use of Centre Assessed Grades.”
Even though the announcement released by the government is comforting for many, it still provides little clarity on what the next steps are for students. The University says:
“At Loughborough we filled our few remaining places on Thursday last week. The change announced today, Monday 17 August, is challenging for us to accommodate, coming at a time when we are well advanced with plans to make the campus as safe as possible in respect of COVID-19 for the new academic year.”
COO Richard Taylor made his feelings clear on Twitter:
Appears the buck is to be passed to universities.
Most universities would have filled places to their limits last week. I have huge sympathy for the young people affected. I do not know how universities can magic up places on the scale needed to sort out this mess. https://t.co/dhrvG2gg3r
— Richard Taylor (@RichardTaylor_) August 17, 2020
The full university statement can be found here –https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/a-level-results-statement/
Information correct as of 17/08/2020 19:41.
Header by David Owens / LSU Media.
