#Exams2020 #sqa. There’s an accepted dtory going around that working class pupils are having their exam results docked, while middle class + are not. I don’t think this is really what’s going on. It’s important to explain (a thread). 1. Teachers

2. Estimated grades. Now a stick on A is easy to spot, and not many have been moved down (as I understand), but there are loads of pupils who’d maybe get a B on their best day and fail on their worst. Teachers, the good hearted souls they are -

3. Who genuinely want the best for their pupils - estimate at the optimistic end, a B or a C. But they know the exam will filter these pupils and some always do a little worse. Equally some the teacher thinks will get a D can surprise and get a B.

4. Now the exam board have to account for this. Teachers will always be optimistic, thus the 20% higher pass rate. That does look strange. So these pupils (the maybe pass on a good day) ones are moved down a little. Which if your just a pass is

5. Now a fail. These pupils tend not to be the stick in A’s who, and this is the salt in the wound, the sons and daughters of doctors or lawyers etc. The obvious A’s are on the whole more likely to be upper class kids. The ‘I’m just hoping for a pass to get

6. In to uni/ my course etc’. Are more likely to be “working class”. They are the On A Good Day A C, which teachers have estimated a pass and SQA might move to a fail. Let’s not get this wrong - it is an injustice to working class kids! But it is not new

7. It has just been made so very explicit by the fact it’s done mathematically rather than by the vagaries of an exam / board educational system. We should be outraged, but at the fact this has gone on for years (SQA takes in previous results to amend this

8. Years) not that somehow Sturgeon or Swinney have in in for this year group. This has exposed the flaws in the education we are currently providing. #sqa #scottidhexams #results2020 #scottishedu #teacher #Scotland #examresults #scottisheducation