GCSE ENGLISH GRADING ROW - LEGAL CHALLENGE

In September 2012, Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, admitted in the Commons that pupils had been unfairly treated

A claim for judicial review has been lodged by a group of Headteachers and Local Authorities in the wake of the dispute which arose over the summer in respect of the grading of GCSE English examinations.  The challenge is being brought against the decision of Ofqual, the Examination Regulators and two Examination Boards, AQA and Edexel.  The dispute arises out of the decision by the Examination Boards to raise the marks needed for the award of a C grade between January and June, and the decision by Ofqual not to reverse that decision.  It is estimated that some 10,000 pupils missed out on a C grade as a result of the decisions, with the potentially damaging impact on the opportunities to progress to further and higher education and on their employability.  Pupils have been given the opportunity to re-sit but this is argued to be an insufficient response.

Having acknowledged that the C-D grade boundary had been raised by as much as 10 marks partway through the examining period, the Examination Boards, Edexel and AQA, maintained that they had acted properly.

In September 2012, Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, admitted in the Commons that pupils had been unfairly treated but stuck by his decision not to intervene.
However, in Wales, the Welsh Education Minister intervened early and some 2,300 pupils in Wales received higher GCSE grades as a result of the intervention.
This is yet another example of where pupils in England and Wales have been treated differently and yet another example of pupils and parents taking action in respect of education matters.

Beverley Watkins

December 2012