Praise for Moray teachers after figures show 63% of their exam estimates hit mark
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MORAY teachers have been praised after figures showed 63 per cent of their 2019-20 exam result estimates for pupils tallied with Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) grades in August.
The Scottish Government announced on August 11 that all candidates would be awarded their estimated grade following a national outcry on results day, August 4. A quarter of teachers' estimates for pupils were downgraded in a moderation system by the SQA.
Pupils' results were worked out using teachers' estimates after exams were cancelled for the first time in over 130 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic disruption.
Secondary school staff had to work at pace with only around five weeks to submit estimates.
Independent Councillor Derek Ross (Speyside Glenlivet) said the data in the report this week to Moray Council's education, communities and organisational development committee showed the strength of Moray's principal teacher system and paid tribute to teachers' efforts in difficult and stressful circumstances.
Quality improvement manager Karen Lees, author of the report, said schools and pupils had made the best of a difficult situation. She said: "We've been working closely with SQA co-ordinators and headteachers throughout the whole process. Currently we're all taking part in SQA consultation about what will happen for the exam diet this year.
"We only had two appeals across all of our schools so that was really testament to the work that had been done within schools by principal teachers and teaching staff.
"We had a very rigorous process in place to develop the estimates, which is why we had such a low level of appeals. We had great confidence, and so did the SQA, in what we'd put forward for our estimates."
Figures show that in Moray, 5 per cent of estimates were upgraded by the SQA – these pupils were permitted to keep this grade.
Some 32 per cent which had been downgraded by the SQA were returned to the teachers' estimates.
Councillors were told that uncertainty reigned over the format of the exam diet for session 2020-21 and that they were awaiting guidance from the SQA and Scottish Government on what the exam diet for next year will look like.
