The A level fiasco

Oh dear. How bad can it get? The minute kids were sent home from school, it was obvious that there would be a problem. Would they sit their exams? If not, what should we do? In intelligent countries, government got together with educational experts and teacher unions, to work out a solution. But not here. We’re the Gove-and-Cummings regime, where teachers can’t be trusted and it has to be done from the top. Fast and secretive, with maybe a couple of U-turns on the way if the press or Tory MPs get restive. Which gives us the organisational chaos and heartbreak for students that we’ve seen over the past few days. So, how do you react to that?

Two possible ways. A clear, honest recognition of the damage done, and a change of approach - listen to what Nicola Sturgeon says, about how her government got it wrong, and why the perception of pupils (particularly the least advantaged pupils) demands that the policy be changed.

Alternatively, there’s the Boris bluster - “Let’s be in no doubt about it; the exam results that we’ve got today are robust, they’re good, they’re dependable for employers.” No they’re not, and saying the same thing four times over doesn’t make it true.