Outrage as teachers become 'scapegoats' in GCSE marks debacle
A BRISTOL head teacher has hit back at claims that teachers abused the exam system to boost grades, causing a fiasco which saw thousands of pupils receive lower than predicted English GCSE marks this summer.
Chief regulator Glenys Stacey laid blame for the national debacle on intense pressure on schools to reach certain targets, which led to over-marking, as well as poorly designed exams and too much emphasis on work marked by teachers.
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David Carter, executive principal of the Cabot Learning Federation
But David Carter, executive principal of the Cabot Learning Federation, which runs Bristol Metropolitan Academy in Fishponds, reacted angrily to the suggestion and said teachers should not be made scapegoats.
Mr Carter said: "The idea is that teachers have in some way compromised their integrity over this. They do the best for the kids and don't cross the line and cheat.
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"When you are making a piece of work, teachers would set the stimulus the child would work on and mark the essay using criteria set down by the exam board, then it is moderated by the exam boards.
"Ofqual's job is to make sure of the fairness and accuracy of the exam system. But standards were different between January and June so that bit remains unanswered."
Mr Carter said students at the academy had been revising over half term with teachers ahead of their exam retakes on Friday.
Tens of thousands of students, including 13 at Bristol Metropolitan Academy, expected to achieve Cs but ended up with Ds in the new English GCSEs which were based on written exam papers and coursework.
Comments
by MDDaddy
Thursday, November 08 2012, 12:19AM
“The head teacher ought to stop whining and set his pupils a better example - don't blame the system, just work harder so you're not relying on a Grade C of all things but aiming for an A grade. Talk about low aspirations.”
by UnhappyParent
Tuesday, November 06 2012, 12:38PM
“Funny isnt it that at John Cabot a whole class failed a their first year A level exam & what have the school done about this... nothing except charge the parents £90 to have the marking looked at again which resulted in even lower marks.... no word to the parents, no help to the students, oh yes top school!!!!”
by BCFCfinker
Monday, November 05 2012, 7:22PM
“The fingers are out and it was their fault. Oh look, everyone is pointing in different direction.
Polititians, teachers, exam boards and regulators have ALL contributed to this farce in some way or other.
The grading system is supposed to measure academic ability and it's flawed. Let the academics run their system, the government can then measure real success and allocate money to the places where it is really needed.”
by gary_hopkins
Monday, November 05 2012, 5:18PM
“What a disgrace.
All the marking is supposed to be moderated by ofqual anyway.
There cannot be any excuse for changing the rules halfway through after the students had taken the exam.
This report is just a distraction tactic and the matter is still subject to a likely judicial review.
Meanwhile students that "passed" the standard they were set are being forced to do resits.”
by katachua
Monday, November 05 2012, 4:51PM
“You put huge pressure on schools to achieve results and you let schools do their own marking and assessments - what the hell do you expect?”
by GoveKnows
Monday, November 05 2012, 12:06PM
“I expect Mr Carter was most frustrated that the BEP had contacted him during one of his fifteen fully paid weeks off.”