A youth campaigner has claimed pupils are being “systematically excluded” from the grading process of this year’s exams.
Joel Meekison is leading a group of five young people – including former Harris Academy pupil Abby Lang – who have written to the Scottish Government calling for rights of young people not to be forgotten on results day.
The campaign group argue that young people have been “left in the dark” over how exams are being marked this year and have urged the government to set up an inquiry into the SQA’s alternative grading process.
Joel said: “Pupils haven’t been able to speak to their teachers about this because they are the graders so feel like they are in the dark.
“Young people’s voices have been systematically excluded and they are in a limbo between what they want to achieve and how much they understand about the process.
“They have been left with no one to answers their question and there is a genuine worry about what to expect.”
In March, education secretary John Swinney announced the “unprecedented” decision to cancel this year’s exams, the first time in history such a thing had ever happened.
Consequently, pupils’ final grades will now be based on estimates by teachers who have been asked to rank candidates, say what grade they think a candidate would get and then place them in a particular band for each grade.
These will not simply be the result of the prelim exams pupils sat before schools shut earlier this year.
But Joel, who was named Ambassador for the Year of Young People in 2018, argues that pupils have not been given the opportunity to give their thoughts on the new process and have been left wondering what it means for them.
He said: “Young people’s voices have been removed from this whole process and it’s so intangible what they are assessing this year.
“When we are looking at this year’s exam results, if they have done a lot better than previous years then there will probably be an inquiry launched into the grading.
“It won’t have the same robustness and that’s a total shame and really unfair.”
Joel also spoke of his concerns regarding the impact uncertainty over exam results could have on the mental health of young people.
He added: “At the forefront of my mind is the potential long-term impact on mental health. In Scotland, 75% of mental health problems begin before the age of 18.
“So we know this cohort are already at risk but when you consider that young people have been totally removed from the grading system, it feels like we are edging towards something really dangerous.”
Joel and his fellow youth ambassadors are now calling for there to be better representation of young people on the government’s education recovery group to ensure they are not forgotten.
There’s not one young person, active teacher or children’s rights lawyer on the Scottish Government’s Education Recovery Group, he said.
“So I’m confused as to how they can say they are underpinned by children’s rights when having none of these representatives is a direct violation of it.
“I think that the choice not to have a young person on the education recovery group is ill judged.”
Shadow Education Secretary, Conservative MSP Jamie Greene also called for better transparency over how grades have been adjusted this year.
“Young people’s voices have been systematically excluded and they are in a limbo between what they want to achieve and how much they understand about the process.
Youth ambassador, Joel Meekison
He said: “This week thousands of students receiving their results are potentially facing an uncertain future because of the impact of Covid and school closures on their final grades.
“Whilst we supported the decision in March to close schools and cancel exams, there are still many unanswered questions over the specific methodology the SQA is using to awards these grades and how national averages impacts that process.
“The appeals process must be fair, transparent and equipped to deal with potentially thousands of cases in the coming days, to help minimise disruption for the many students hoping to attend college and university in September.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We value the views of young people and we are actively considering further ways to make sure their voice is at the centre of policymaking.
“The Education Recovery Group has drawn on a series of surveys conducted by partners throughout the lockdown, including the Scottish Youth Parliament and the Children’s Parliament, and the Deputy First Minister has engaged directly with young people.
“The SQA has held fairness for pupils as one of its core principles in approaching certification this year. Their certification model will allow the hard work of learners to be recognised and it is supported by a free appeals service.
“In support of the process, the SQA continues to engage with the National Parent Forum of Scotland, Connect, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, Young Scot, Carers Trust Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament to share information on what is happening and when.”
