The government’s education secretary has come under fire for her comments that businesses won’t even inquire about students’ A-Level Results in ten years, calling her comments “downright rude.”
Gillian Keegan was questioned about the anticipated decline in grades this year as students throughout the nation received their exam results, and she explained the decline as the system returning to “normal” after the pandemic.
She responded to the question, “What will people ask you in 10 years?” for the broadcaster GB News.
In ten years, they won’t inquire about your A-Level Results. They’ll inquire about further actions you’ve taken since then, such as those you took at work or school.
Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary for Labour, said it was “plain wrong” and “downright rude” to suggest that qualifications would not be important. She said, “She’s talking down England’s young people, and she needs to apologise.”
“This is a nerve-wracking day for young people who have worked extremely hard,” the spokeswoman for the opposition continued. It really does add insult to injury coming from a government that completely failed to put in place the kind of support that our young people needed coming out of the pandemic after all of the disruption they had experienced. The last thing they need is the secretary of state making comments like that.
Ms. Keegan, on the other hand, defended the remarks and argued that her assertion was “just real”.
In lieu of tests, students who took their A-Level Results during the Covid epidemic received teacher-assessed results.
Up until last year, some aspects of instructors’ evaluations were still used for students, but tests are now again being used for students in England.
There are worries that the students who took their examinations this year may be at a disadvantage compared to those who took them the previous two years, when grades were inflated.
Despite the fact that exam authorities in Wales and Northern Ireland have stated they do not anticipate returning to pre-pandemic grading until 2024, Ms. Keegan claimed that the predicted drop in grades in England was fair.
She told Sky News, “The entire grading system will be back to normal, and the universities will calibrate to that.”
“We’ve worked with the institutions and admissions officers to make sure they understand it. Additionally, with companies, so they are aware of it.
Everyone is aware that these circumstances differ from teacher evaluations, even if last year’s system was more in line with what was done in Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Liberal Democrats also criticised Ms. Keegan’s remarks, calling her “grossly out of touch” in a statement to the media.
The party’s spokesman on education, Munira Wilson, stated: “Her department has to take control of our educational system and apologise for the pandemic’s unrepaired harm. Because of the Conservatives’ mismanagement, no youngster should be forced to fall behind or forfeit their chance for a university spot.
At the City of London Academy in Islington, the education secretary defended her remarks by saying, “It is true, it is just real.”
The cabinet member continued, “It’s an important step to get to your next destination, but when you’re a couple of destinations further on, there’ll be other things that they look at.”
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