21st September 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Thousands of students were left disappointed this summer when their GCSE English results were much lower than expected. It was revealed that exam boards took the decision to raise the grade boundaries between January and June, meaning that many students who took the exam in June were left at a disadvantage. Exam boards initially played down the number of students affected by this, but over the next few weeks, reports from teachers poured in suggesting that over 10,000 students had been affected.
The education secretary Michael Gove has since denied putting pressure on exam boards to change the boundaries, and said that whilst it is unfair, he is not in a position to change the outcome. Exam boards have ruled out remarks for affected students, some of whom have lost their places at sixth form colleges as a result. Exam boards have offered students resits in November, but this has done nothing to quell the concerns of students who need their grades before this point in order to secure their places.
This incident has fuelled a larger debate on reforming the exam system, in which Gove said that GCSEs would be phased out in favour of exams more closely resembling the old O’levels. However, whilst discussions continue at this level, no assurances will be made to students who have been put at a serious disadvantage as a result of political struggles over exam administration.