Boclair worst hit in exams fiasco

Boclair Academy had more pupil grades lowered by the SQA than any other school in Bearsden and Milngavie during this summer’s moderation fiasco, new data reveals.
Photo Emma Mitchell 7.3.16
Boclair Academy, BearsdenPhoto Emma Mitchell 7.3.16
Boclair Academy, Bearsden
Photo Emma Mitchell 7.3.16 Boclair Academy, Bearsden

The Bearsden school saw 22 per cent of grades lowered, and 11 per cent of highers were adjusted from pass to fail.

These grades were raised again after a fierce backlash from teachers and parents and negotiations between the Scottish Government and Scottish Green MSPs.

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Local Green MSP Ross Greer, who was involved in negotiating the grade restoration, said: “These figures reveal just how unfair this system was, just as the Scottish Greens had warned of for months.

“Pupils at Boclair and across the country were treated like statistics rather than people and judged more on their postcode than their abilities.

Fortunately, Green MSPs were able to negotiate a solution which saw all 124,565 grades restored and the independent inquiry we secured has now published its findings, so there is no excuse for this to happen again.

“This is the power of constructive opposition with a minority government. If the SNP had a majority in Parliament, I doubt we would have seen such a clear resolution.”

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Mr Greer said new school-by-school figures showed that the system which replaced cancelled exams this spring was particularly unfair on young people in Scotland’s most deprived communities – as the Scottish Greens had warned.

The system of ‘moderating’ estimated grades submitted by teachers unfairly disadvantaged pupils at schools with lower historical records,
 regardless of individual 
history of achievement.

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