GCSE students to continue receiving Covid exam helpon October 3, 2024 at 5:55 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

The education secretary says equation sheets should be available to students sitting exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Getty Images A boy in a white shirt and school tie is sat at a school desk writing on a sheet of paper with a blue biro, with a booklet open in front of him.Getty Images

The education secretary has said GCSE students should continue to be given formula and equation sheets to help in their exams.

This year had been the final year students were expecting to receive that post-Covid support.

But in a letter to England’s exams regulator, Ofqual, Bridget Phillipson said it should continue for at least the next three years.

Teaching unions welcomed the move and said it would hopefully lead to a permanent change.

‘Long-term changes’

In a letter to Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham, Ms Phillipson said the pandemic “continues to have an impact on students”.

And the government’s curriculum-and-assessment review, which will report back next year, would then advise on potential “long-term changes”.

Ms Phillipson asked Ofqual to continue providing formula and equation sheets to maths, physics and combined-science students sitting their exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

The exam aids were first introduced in 2022, to limit the impact of Covid-19 on learning.

‘Apply knowledge’

Last year, the previous, Conservative government said the exam aids would no longer be available to students from 2025 and pre-Covid exam arrangements would return.

But Ms Phillipson said that would be “premature” because of the continuing disruption caused by the pandemic.

Ofqual launched a two-week consultation on the plans on Thursday.

In his response to Ms Phillipson, Sir Ian said it was important for teachers and students to have clarity on exam changes “as soon as possible”.

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio said the move was one his union had “long argued for” and exams “should not be a test of memory but of the ability of students to apply knowledge and learning”.

National Association of Head Teachers policy head Sarah Hannafin also welcomed the change, saying there was “no need” for students to memorise formulae and equations.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

England v Germany: Trent Alexander-Arnold left out of squadon September 26, 2022 at 10:14 am

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has not been included in England's matchday squad for Monday's Nations League match against Germany.Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has not...

Boeing agrees deal with families of Ethiopia crash victimson November 10, 2021 at 10:37 pm

The planemaker has accepted responsibility, in return families of the victims will not seek punitive damages.Image source, ReutersBoeing has agreed a settlement with the...

Pele in hospital: Messages of support from across football for Brazil greaton December 3, 2022 at 4:45 pm

Messages of support for Brazil great Pele are sent from across the world while the three-time World Cup winner is being treated in hospital.The...

Katie Kenyon: Man who said axe death was accident admits murderon November 16, 2022 at 10:39 am

Andrew Burfield had claimed he accidentally killed Katie Kenyon when throwing an axe at a tree.Image source, FamilyA man who told police he killed...

Kanye West: Adidas investigates after claims of ‘toxic’ behaviouron November 24, 2022 at 7:16 pm

Rolling Stone has reported that staff have complained about West's "problematic behaviour".Image source, Getty ImagesAdidas has launched an investigation into reports that rapper Kanye...