Evening Standard Comment: Must do better on exams

A shrewd student understands the importance of learning from their mistakes. We hope the Government is equally capable of demonstrating such an ability.

Headteachers have today called on ministers to trust them with full details of contingency plans for next year’s GCSEs and A-levels, along with advanced warning of exam topics. They should accede to both.

Granting schools notice of exams topics will help focus students’ revision and make up for lost learning during the pandemic.

The consultation proposes informing teachers in the spring. The risk is, if the relevant information is shared too late, teachers will not be able to plan properly or make the most of their teaching time.

Next year must not bring a re-run of the chaos for schools and stress for pupils when exams were cancelled at the last minute.

Our young people, who have been operating under the hardest circumstances and ensured time away from class, deserve the best possible chances.

The Government should entrust headteachers with full details of contingency plans and by September provide notice of exams topics.

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