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Today I spoke to a young man, Saeed. He's an unaccompanied refugee in care. Came to UK in 2016. Got 8s and 7s at GCSE. Offer to study at Manchester and was predicted ABB. Downgraded to BCE. Missed his offer. Can't get a place elsewere. "Stuck". https://inews.co.uk/news/education/a-levels-results-2020-refugee-care-system-devastated-stuck-downgrading-dream-manchester-university-580140 @theipaper
He excelled at GCSE despite having to learn a new language, was "so happy" to get a string of offers from Russell Group unis. He went with the most generous offer “because I thought to myself I should go for the lower one and secure my place”...
He was "so confident". And then he went to get his results yesterday.
BCE.
Manchester was unable to accept him. He applied through Clearing but the unis he was interested in told him “with your E grade we literally can’t even give you an offer”.
BCE.
Manchester was unable to accept him. He applied through Clearing but the unis he was interested in told him “with your E grade we literally can’t even give you an offer”.
His mother passed away last year, so he is currently in care.
“Literally now I’m stuck It’s just been such a difficult journey, and now this. I don’t know what to do.”
His school have been supportive, but they're equally in the dark, don't know whether he has grounds to appeal.
“Literally now I’m stuck It’s just been such a difficult journey, and now this. I don’t know what to do.”
His school have been supportive, but they're equally in the dark, don't know whether he has grounds to appeal.
He doesn't think the back-up exams option in October will do him much good: "I don’t think I’ll have enough time to really revise and go through all of my stuff again. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been to school." He wasn't even taught all the content before school shut.
He can maybe take a gap year and resit in 2021, but the worst of it is even that isn't fully in his control, because he is in care:
24 hours after his results, and he has all this to deal with. It's absolutely overwhelming.
“They are all things to think about, and I don’t want to really because it’s just such a difficult position to be in.”
“They are all things to think about, and I don’t want to really because it’s just such a difficult position to be in.”
I asked him if he has a message for @BorisJohnson @GavinWilliamson:
“I’m just very angry. I never had the chance to do my exams, but I have been put in a system… that has downgraded me by so much, it changed my pathway and now I’m stuck and left with nothing really.”
“I’m just very angry. I never had the chance to do my exams, but I have been put in a system… that has downgraded me by so much, it changed my pathway and now I’m stuck and left with nothing really.”
Speaking personally for one second, I was very moved by the conversation I had with Saeed today.
The exams debate is hugely complex, with no good options. But looking back at the thread above, I think it's very hard to conclude that a serious injustice hasn't been done here.
The exams debate is hugely complex, with no good options. But looking back at the thread above, I think it's very hard to conclude that a serious injustice hasn't been done here.
