REACTION: A-level results in NI set to be based on teachers’ predictions - Peter Weir says ‘I hope today’s decision will provide a platform for them to go forward positively into Higher Education, employment or training’

This announcement follows controversy last week after more than a third of A-level and AS-level grades provided by schools were lowered by the exams board CCEA.

Stormont ministers faced a backlash from school heads, parents and pupils after last week’s results were based around an approach calculating grades on a region-wide basis.

Education Minister Peter Weir has been under pressure to act amid claims significant numbers of students were downgraded from their teachers’ expectations.

Education Minister, Peter Weir said: “I have today instructed CCEA that all of their AS and A level qualifications will now be awarded the higher of the grade submitted by their centre or the grade calculated by CCEA.

“CCEA is working to release the revised results to candidates as quickly as possible. In the interim, students will be able to access details of their Centre Assessed Grade from their school or college.

“Concerns remain over the impact of changes to the qualifications system throughout the United Kingdom and any potential solution offered has its flaws.

“However, my prime concern is to ensure that young people in Northern Ireland are in no way disadvantaged in comparison to their peers elsewhere.

“Portability and comparability of qualifications is critical for students, particularly in Northern Ireland.

“Whilst standardisation is normally an important feature of awarding qualifications, these are truly unique circumstances and this approach is now being adopted across the UK. This is why I have taken this decision today.

“In the challenging situation in which we find ourselves, there are no perfect solutions. Students would have preferred to have taken their exams, but that was simply not possible in the circumstances. There is no substitute for exams themselves and recent events highlight the need for a full-time return to education, five days a week.

“I want to thank our teachers and school leaders for all their hard work during this extremely challenging time.

“Our young people have shown their tremendous attitude and resilience though the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope today’s decision will provide a platform for them to go forward positively into higher education, employment or training.”

Later in Tweet Mr Weir added: “Our young people have shown tremendous resilience thoughout this pandemic. I hope today’s decision will provide a platform for them to go forward positively into Higher Education, employment or training.”

The move was welcomed by Sinn Féin MLA Karen Mullan.

The Foyle MLA said: “I welcome the Education Minister’s decision to reverse the standardisation of As and A-Level exam results and replace them with the predicted grades from teachers.

“This is the right decision and was the only sensible response to the problems which were evident last week.

“Minister Weir should have taken the action earlier and on the merits of the arguments rather than waiting on the approach of Ministers in London.

“The delay in changing this process has served only to compound the stress and and anxiety experienced by our students, their families and teachers.

“I’m pleased that through cross-party co-operation and pressure from the Education Committee that we now have a positive outcome for our young people and that the right decision has finally been made.”

SDLP Education Spokesperson, Daniel McCrossan MLA also welcomed the move.

The West Tyrone MLA said: “Today, the Minister for Education has announced that he will U-Turn and A Level students will now be awarded the higher of the grade submitted by their school or the grade calculated by CCEA. This is a win for our teachers and their professional judgement, but most importantly, a win for our young people.”

“They fought tirelessly against the flawed standardisation process and for grades that accurately reflected their ability and their work ethic. This is their win. As SDLP Education Spokesperson, it was a privilege to fight alongside these young people.”

“While I welcome the eventual positive result, I do deeply regret the anxiety and distress this has caused for our young people over the last number of days. It was unnecessary and highly unfair. The Education Minister should offer a full and genuine apology, to our young people for causing this distress and to our teachers, for the way their professional judgement was cast aside.”

“The Minister should compel CCEA to publish the algorithm that was used. It is critical lessons are learnt from this debacle so no student is forced to ensure this stress in the future.”

“It is also highly regrettable that some young people may have missed out on university places. I urge the Minister for the Economy to liaise with universities and colleges to ensure students from the North do not miss out, through no fault of their own.”

“This is a sensible move from Minister Weir. It was the only move that would restore confidence in our education system and provide a fair and just solution for our students.”

Ulster Unionist Education spokesperson, Robbie Butler MLA, said: “I welcome the U-turn from the Education Minister on the A-Level results debacle. This is a fair and just resolution so that students can fairly make the decisions that best suit their future educational and career paths. I am glad that the Department of Education has now accepted that it is right to place trust in teachers to grade students’ A-Level work.

“However the question will be asked why did it have to be this way? This decision could have been made long before now, despite it being the only sensible option on the table. It`s very late in the day. Students have been put through immense stress. Given that mental health is the number one issue for young people this has only piled misery upon misery. The system has failed them up until now. Now it needs to deliver.

“Further questions arise such as how quickly can CCEA turn this around and get the regraded results out to the students affected? And what role are the universities going to carry out to play their part? They cannot close their eyes and ears to what is going on around them. There needs to be a collegiate approach to the solution for all students.”

In a Tweet DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: “This is very welcome news for all our young people who are seeking places at university or starting out on a career. I believe this is the fairest outcome in all the circumstances”.

And in another Tweet deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill said: “I welcome that the Education Minister will now respect professional judgement of teachers in predicting AS & A-Level grades

Standardisation was flawed from beginning and should never have been used

Many students have been through a tough number of days

Today is a win for them”.