Did you know that Scotland has taken the first big step towards reducing exams?
The sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of turmoil within schools around the world particularly with regards to conducting an examination. Educational institutions across the UK this summer attempted to use replacement grade system, as a solution to counter the exam woes caused by the current socially distant situation triggered by the coronavirus. Sadly, however, they were not able to find the right mechanism to make this examination balancing act a success. That was until Scotland stepped in just now to announce their plan of using assessed grades as a substitute for exams in 2021. Here is then, presenting to you facts that will explain what this move made by the Scotts to reduce exams is all about.
Coursework and Teachers assessment replacing examinations:
According to Scottish Education Secretary John Swiney has said that conducting full exams in schools during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is "too big a risk'. As a result, the National 5 exams in Scotland is all set to be cancelled 2021 and be substituted by teacher assessments and coursework. Swiney also said that the students will be assessed as per the judgment made by teachers on their performances throughout the year.
Cancelling exams a strategy to combat an uncertain post-COVID-19 world:
This decision made by Scotland with regards to scrapping the National 5 exams generally taken by 15 or 16-year-old, appears to also be a move to do away with the concept of examination to deal with the uncertainty that prevails in the post-COVID-19 world. As Scottish Education Minister Peter Weir admitted that even though the goal was to have exams yet "We are also developing a contingency plan should the situation change because of increased spread of Covid-19." In other words, avoidance of exams seems to be a temporary solution that the Scots are using at the moment to face the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic. This is simply because a majority in the country feel that a written exam is the fairest option when it comes to assessing a student.
More space to conduct exams for Highers and Advanced Higher:
The decision to eliminate of 'National 5' the largest group of exams in Scotland for the year 2021 means that there will be more space and time to conduct the Highers and Advanced Higher studies under examination conditions. However, the exams shall be pushed back and delayed a bit to allow for extra teaching time.
The new proposed grading system to replace National 5 exam assessment:
As per the new system of grade assessment announced by Scotland, government schools will be assessing students on two to four pieces of work they produce in each subject. This in turn will be used along with the process of moderation to finally decide the 'National 5 Grades' of students. The Education Secretary Mr Swiney accepted that to use such an unconventional system is indeed a 'Big Step' but he further added that "With so much uncertainty about the next stages of the pandemic it was too big a risk to plan a full set of exams".
So, with Scotland a country that is known for its bagpipes and of course 'Whisky' all set to remove the National 5 examination in 2021, it remains to see as to whether or not any other country around the world will follow suit too.
