‘Ridiculous’, ‘unfair’ and ‘an absolute shambles’: GCSE students await their results following Ofqual U-turn

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Kirsty Williams, Wales’s education minister, said that “given decisions elsewhere, the balance of fairness now lies with awarding Centre Assessment grades to students”. Williamson claimed that England’s U-turn on algorithm grades came after he could no longer “tolerate unfairness” or “turn a blind eye” to an inaccurate and biased system, but he had ample time to act, was given a heads-up after it appeared that less-privileged students in Scotland were downgraded by a greater margin than their better off peers when they received their results the week before, and yet he continued to drag his feet. So Ofqual has said “students be awarded their centre assessment for this summer - that is, the grade their school or college estimated was the grade they would most likely have achieved in their exam - or the moderated grade, whichever is higher.” Teachers know our abilities so much more than the government On Thursday 20 August, students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their GCSE results. Heather*, 16, who attends a girls’ school in Manchester, is relieved following the latest announcement, telling The Independent: “I was feeling extremely nervous at first, but when I found out that they have changed the way we get our grades, I didn’t feel as scared because the teachers know our abilities so much more than the government!” But she remains frustrated that the government didn’t do more to prevent the situation, saying that her and her year 11 contemporaries have been under great stress as a result of all the changes.