The decision to cancel all 2020’s exams due to the coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous impact on young people’s rights in Scotland.
Since the decision was made in March, our office has raised concerns about how both it and decisions around alternative arrangements have been made.
And we raised further concerns following results day, when grades were calculated through use of an unfair statistical model.
What has our office done around the decision to cancel exams?
From early on, our office has warned the SQA and the Government of:
- the risks of not involving children and young people in decision making, as is their human right,
- the need for much greater transparency, and
- the requirement to take a rights-based approach to ensure all potential disadvantage was mitigated.
Following results day, the Commissioner has called on the SQA and Scottish Government to make sure all young people are treated fairly and get the results they deserve.
And our response to the Scottish Government’s independent review into the results process stresses the need for any future decisions to be made within a framework of children’s rights.
Following the decision to cancel 2021’s Highers and Advanced Highers, the Commissioner has also been clear that the SQA must urgently communicate its alternative assessment plans.
Our work on SQA results
Resource: Correspondence
Right to Education and School Closures
December 2020.The Commissioner wrote to John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 22 December 2020, outlining the support children will need to ensure their rights are realised while schools are closed to most children.
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File type: pdf
Download DFM letter – school closures Dec 2020
Resource: Correspondence
Exam cancellations: Letter to Deputy First Minister (16th December)
December 2020. Letter to Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney MSP outlining concerns around the breach of the right to education as a result of decisions around exam cancellations in 2021.
Size: 178.59 KB
File type: pdf
Download Letter to John Swinney MSPResource: Correspondence
Exams 2020: Correspondence with SQA
April-September 2020. All correspondence between our office and the SQA over the decision to cancel exams in 2020 and its consequences.
Size: 1.93 MB
File type: pdf
Download SQA CorrespondenceResource: Consultation Response
Response to Priestly Review: A Rapid Review of National Qualifications experience 2020
September 2020. Our response to this review from the Scottish Government.
Size: 212.74 KB
File type: pdf
Download Priestley Review responseResource: Children’s Rights Impact Assessment
Rapid Child Rights Impact Assessment: 2020 Exam Cancellations
A Child Rights Impact Assessment conducted by our young advisers on exam cancellations and their impact on young people’s human rights.
Size: 1.07 MB
File type: pdf
Download Rapid Impact AssessmentResource: Correspondence
UK Commissioners’ letter to Universities UK
August 2020. Letter from the UK’s Children’s Commissioners asking UK universities to honour their offers to UK applicants made prior to 2020’s results.
View a mobile-friendly version of the letter.
Size: 466.11 KB
File type: pdf
Download Letter to Universities UKResource: Correspondence
Exams 2020: Letter to Deputy First Minister (17th August)
August 2020. Letter to the Deputy First Minister on issues around 2020’s SQA results including the appeals process, university admissions, and acknowledging unfairness.
Read a mobile-friendly version of the letter.
Size: 237.57 KB
File type: pdf
Download Letter to Deputy First MinisterResource: Correspondence
Exams 2020: Letter to Deputy First Minister (7 August 2020)
August 2020. Our letter to Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP calls on him to confirm changes will be made so that the appeals process around exams becomes directly accessible to young people and centered on their individual attainment.
Read a mobile-friendly version of the letter.
Size: 241.00 KB
File type: pdf
Download Letter to DFM on exam resultsResource: Miscellaneous policy
Exams 2020: Letter to SQA
August 2020. Our letter to the SQA calls on the organisation to make sure their appeals process is directly accessible to young people and centered on their attainment as individuals.
Read a mobile-friendly version of the letter.
Size: 273.91 KB
File type: pdf
Download Letter to SQA on exam results
Resource: Parliamentary evidence
Evidence to Education and Skills Committee on school closures, vulnerable children and exam cancellations
Our evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee around the impact measures taken around education are having on children’s human rights.
Read a mobile friendly version of the briefing.
Size: 84.21 KB
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Download Education and Skills Committee Evidence June 2020Recent news on SQA results
Commissioner’s Statement: Response to Ministerial Statement on SQA Exam Results 2020
Statement from Commissioner Bruce Adamson on today’s Ministerial Statement by Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney MSP.
Children’s Commissioner: SQA and Scottish Government must apologise to young people and restore fairness to the grading system
The Commissioner has written to the SQA and Scottish Government calling on them to make sure young people get the results they deserve.
Results day this year will be more stressful than ever before. It’s not too late to make sure learners aren’t disadvantaged
We’re calling again on the SQA and Scottish Government to make sure that young people getting their results tomorrow aren’t disadvantaged.