A decision on whether exams go ahead this year could be made just weeks before they are due to start.
In an interview with the BBC, Scottish Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the “very latest” a decision on whether the exam diet goes ahead as planned would be made is the end of March.
She did say, however, it remains the Scottish Government’s intention for exams to go ahead as normal this year.
The SQA exam timetable is due to start on April 26.
What will happen if exams are cancelled?
According to the SQA, if the Scottish Government cancels the exams due to public health restrictions, schools will enter “scenario three”.
This means the evidence teachers and lecturers gather through normal in-year assessment to determine pupil estimates can be used to form the basis of their provisional results.
A similar process was used last year when exams were cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the pandemic.
What about disruption to learning?
Should exams still go ahead but there is significantly more disruption to learning and teaching across the country, “scenario two” will be enacted.
This means the qualifications authority will provide additional support for pupils to help them prepare and revise for this year’s exams.
Not all courses will have revision support as some do not have an exam in 2022, or the exam has been reduced in size through the modifications that have already been made.
However, in this situation, the vast majority of learners will receive revision support in one or more of their courses.
There will be no further modifications made to the course assessments.
What has the reaction been?
Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA), said the uncertainly was not helpful for pupils or teachers.
He said: “Contingencies do not help the teachers or pupils in schools today. Shows a complete lack of understanding of how schools work. Ask a teacher.”
.@SSTAtradeunion Contingencies do not help the teachers or pupils in schools today. Shows a complete lack of understanding of how schools work. Ask a teacher!
Decision on exams going ahead to be made by the end of March 'at the latest' https://t.co/zkd5RXbxn2
— Seamus Searson (@searson_seamus) January 10, 2022
The Scottish Conservatives have also criticised the possibility of exams being scrapped as late as March, saying the government had “learned no lessons from the last exams fiasco”.
Related:
When should schoolchildren in Scotland self-isolate and for how long?
