Private school teacher explains why A-Level scandal will 'bake' privilege into universities

18 August 2020, 15:35

Teacher thinks A-Level scandal will 'bake' privilege into universities

By Ewan Quayle

@EQjourno

A private school teacher explains to James O'Brien why the A-Level grades scandal will "bake" privilege into the education system for years to come.

Dave in Sandbach said he believes the system, which the Government and exams regulator apologised for yesterday, has been designed to ensure those who are already privileged get an unfair advantage.

He told James O'Brien: "The schools situation was always going to create winners and losers, and I think objective number one of this Government led by Johnson - lest we forget - was to ensure that the winners who came out of this were the ones who already have privileges in the system.

"What he's managed to do here is bake existing privileges in for the next two years."

The teacher explained that although a considerable number of his private school students were downgraded, most have been able to retain their university places.

He added that private schools were further ahead with teaching this year and said that state schools continue to suffer as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown while others continue to thrive.

Dave said he believed that it won't just be this year that is affected by the changes - but further years will also be privileged because richer A-Level students can afford to defer their places if necessary.

It follows thousands of students protesting outside the Department for Education against the downgrading of their results - which were determined by an algorithm that exams regulator Ofqual has now admitted unfairly disadvantaged poorer students.

Calls have been growing for education secretary Gavin Williamson to resign after the U-turn, which some have said won't much help the situation in future.

James responded to the teacher's comments: "Even with the U-turn - the private school pupils who generally emerged from the algorithm in a better position than they would have done under examination conditions.

"They get to bagsy - they've put their beach towels on all of the sunbeds in the best universities."

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