Kate Green – 2020 Comments on Ofqual Appeals

The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 7 August 2020.

This belated decision to allow some schools to appeal grades, following repeated concerns being raised by parents, pupils, teachers, and the Labour Party, is welcome, but does not go far enough in ensuring that the system will be fair for all young people.

The Scottish Highers scandal shows the potentially devastating consequences of an inflexible system deciding grades, and life chances, by algorithm rather than genuine leadership from government.

The government should have ensured that Ofqual had a robust appeals system in place from the beginning, instead of announcing one a matter of days before A-Level results. They must do far more to ensure the system is genuinely fair.