The man who created GCSEs says results should be postponed to avoid A-level fiasco

17 August 2020, 07:46 | Updated: 17 August 2020, 07:50

The man who created GCSEs says results should be postponed

Lord Baker has told LBC that GCSE results should be postponed in the aftermath of the A-level fiasco last week.

Thousands of A-level students saw their makes downgraded from their teacher's predictions, thanks to the controversial algorithm used by Ofqual to standardise A-level marks after exams were cancelled.

There is huge pressure on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to follow the lead of Scotland and allow pupils to use their teacher-predicted grades.

One of Mr Williamson's predecessor's Lord Kenneth Baker, who created GCSEs, says the government need to act to avoid a repeat this week.

He said: "If you are in a hole, you should stop digging. The best solution is for Ofqual not to issue the results of GCSEs this week and postpone the announcement for a fortnight.

"That will let the government think very carefully about what the alternative should be."

Lord Baker, who served as Education Secretary under Margaret Thatcher, said the issue has been hugely damaging for the Conservative Party.

He added: "Having been both Education Secretary and Conservative Party Chairman, I know that damage is being done to both the government and the party.

"To have a broad mathematical formula which reduces the qualifications of 40% of the students is a sheer and complete disaster.

"And what's more, it can't be explained why it's happened.

"It has affected the future careers of hundreds of thousands of A-level students. And if it's repeated this year in GCSE, then it will ride through more hundreds of thousands and possibly millions."

Hear his interview at the top of the page.