Kate Green – 2020 Comments on Government’s Exam Plans

The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 3 December 2020.

The government have finally listened to calls from Labour, pupils, parents, and school leaders and set out a plan for exams, but they have been far too slow to act. This plan should have been in place months ago, to give certainty to pupils across the country who were worried about their exams. Dither and delay has made it harder for schools to prepare and created huge, additional stress for pupils.

These proposals still do not offer enough reassurance to pupils in the regions worst hit by coronavirus who have seen their learning severely disrupted. The government’s new expert group must urgently set out how they will make exams fair for these pupils, and what measures will be put in place now for pupils taking exams next academic year who are losing learning now.

We will look closely at the detail of these measures, and ensure that the interests of pupils and parents are put first.