As almost 800,000 pupils prepare to receive exam results in the coming week, Labour has renewed its call for Boris Johnson to sack education secretary Gavin Williamson.
Writing in The Independent, shadow education secretary Kate Green accused Mr Williamson of “letting down students time and time again” in a year of “chaos and disruption” which saw exams cancelled in January and schools, pupils and parents left waiting three months to know how grades would be awarded.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Students issued an appeal for young people to be judged on their achievements during the two years of sixth-form dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, and not judged harshly in comparison with those who took exams in earlier years.
With 782,000 pupils receiving their A-level, GCSE and BTEC results this week, there are expectations that there will be record-breaking numbers of top-scoring results on a system based on teacher assessments and tests in schools.
Universities are bracing for unprecedented numbers of A-level students reaching their required grades on Tuesday to qualify for entry into undergraduate courses, with last year’s record-high intake expected to be followed by an even larger number of freshers in 2021.
Analysis by The Times has revealed that the number of courses in clearing among Russell Group universities has fallen by one third, from 4,500 last year to only 3,000 this year.
Former universities minister Lord Willetts said top universities are “less likely” to offer a place to A-Level students who have underperformed by a grade – predicting “less flexibility in the system” this summer.
Mr Williamson this week announced an increase to 9,000 in the cap on places on medicine and dentistry courses in England, following a 20 per cent boost in numbers applying. And Universities UK (UUK) said it expects other courses to also see an increase in the number of applications.
“Students have worked incredibly hard under the most challenging circumstances to reach their goal of going to university, and admissions teams up and down the country will be working their socks off to make sure students find a course which is right for them,” said a UUK spokesperson.
“The majority of courses are not subject to a government cap, and therefore universities will be as flexible as possible to accommodate all offer holders that receive the required grades. Universities were successful in supporting applicants during last year’s results period and will build on that experience this year.”
Amid widespread speculation that private school pupils will benefit from pushy parents or teachers lobbying for higher grades, the spokesperson insisted that universities’ commitment to “widening access to higher education to those from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds” remains as strong as ever this year.
And he rejected suggestions that 2021 A-level results would be regarded as less reliable than those from pre-pandemic years. “Teachers and exam regulators have done a good job in difficult circumstances,” said the UUK spokesperson.
NUS vice president for further education, Salsabil Elmegri, said that students should not be punished for the shortcomings of the government’s response to the pandemic by having their achievements doubted.
“Since the disaster that unfolded last summer, the government has had a whole year to put a workable solution in place that inspires trust and confidence across the sector, it has failed to do so and now it seems students are being punished,” said Ms Elmegri.
“A-Level students and those across further education have had an incredibly tumultuous year, they do not deserve to have their achievements called into question and to face further assessment out of the blue which is sure to have a detrimental impact on their mental health.”
Ms Green said students had been let down by “last-minute decision making and uncertainty” causing additional stress for pupils and teachers.
“Young people have battled through two years of unprecedented uncertainty and disruption to their learning. But they have been let down time and again by a Conservative government which is showing no ambition for their futures.”
She added: “The education secretary’s calamitous record should be a source of shame for this government. This disregard for young people, their future life chances and our country’s future prosperity is a damning indictment of the Conservatives’ failed pandemic response which could scar our country for decades.
“But the responsibility for these failings is not Gavin Williamson’s alone. The blame must lie firmly at the feet of the prime minister. Boris Johnson has to explain why Gavin Williamson still has a job despite this catalogue of chaos, and why he has not lifted a finger to deliver the opportunities, investment and support young people need.”
