Union fears for exam grades due to Covid
STUDENTS should not be denied a fair grade if they cannot sit exams due to Covid, teaching union the NASUWT has said.
This year teacher-assessed grades will not be used for candidates who miss exams due to Covid. Those who do will be expected to complete their assessments in order to receive a grade.
Guernsey follows the Joint Council for Qualifications national guidance for examinations, which outlines that qualifications will not be awarded if exams or assessments within a specification have not been completed.
It also said that students testing positive should not turn up for their exams even if they do not have symptoms.
But the NASUWT said this could impact on them and there were other options available.
‘No candidate should ever be denied a fair grade as a result of circumstances that are completely outside their control,’ said a spokesman for the union.
‘There are arrangements in place every year to take account of pupils who are not able to sit an examination due to illness, a fire alarm going off in the middle of the paper, an exam hall flooding overnight with no replacement room available etc.
‘In these circumstances, a grade can be awarded based on papers that a pupil has completed and can also be awarded based on a candidate’s work undertaken during the course of the year. A re-sit is also an option in some cases.’
Special consideration will be offered to candidates who are fully prepared for their assessments but are unable to sit them due to illness or unavoidable circumstances. Candidates who do not complete the minimum proportion of exams will be able to re-sit in summer 2023.
