Northern Ireland to let teachers decide GCSE grades after A-level disaster

Northern Irish GCSE students will be given grades decided by their teachers after an outcry over the use of an algorithm to award marks for A-level. Peter Weir, the Education Minister for the Northern Ireland executive, announced the move just days before the publication of results on Thursday, but said the change would not cause a delay.

As in other parts of the United Kingdom, students in NI complained after more than a third of predicted A-level grades were downgraded.

It comes as a new analysis of grades in England shows that marks awarded to A-level pupils at sixth-form colleges this year were sent below their average in recent years.

There are concerns that the algorithm for awarding A-level grades penalises pupils at larger institutions, such as colleges, by “moderating” their grades more harshly than smaller institutions.

“Having received advice from CCEA and listened to the concerns of school leaders, teachers, parents and young people, I have decided that all GCSE candidates will now be awarded the grades submitted by their centre,” Northern Ireland Education Minister Mr Weir said.

“Standardisation is normally a key feature of awarding qualifications in Northern Ireland and across the UK. However, these are exceptional circumstances and in exceptional times truly difficult decisions are made.”

But the Northern Ireland executive has so far resisted reversing its decision to award A-levels based on algorithmic moderation. Stormont is set to be recalled from its summer recess to debate the issue.

In England, the government has said it is drawing up an appeals process for A-level students who feel they have been given the wrong grade. In Scotland Education secretary John Swinney reverted all grades to those recommended by teachers after days of protest.

Explaining his decision to make changes for GCSEs but not A-levels, Northern Ireland’s Mr Weir added: “I am conscious that for GCSEs, unlike at A-level, we do not have system level prior performance data for this group of young people.