SQA chief defends approach to exams as MSP says it has ‘failed young people’

The head of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has defended her approach to this year’s exams, as an MSP accused it of failing young people “for the third year in a row”.

Chief executive Fiona Robertson said the exams body did everything it could to address disruption caused by the pandemic.

In the 2022 results, the gap in attainment between the most and least deprived areas grew wider compared to 2021.

However the gap was slightly narrower than the pre-pandemic results from 2019.

The SQA has urged caution in comparing the attainment results from this year to previous years.

Ms Robertson appeared before Holyrood’s Education Committee on Tuesday.

Conservative MSP Oliver Mundell pressed her on the change in attainment figures between the most and least deprived areas, saying “it feels to me that you have again failed Scotland’s young people”.

He said: “Surely you recognise that the attainment gap we have seen this year is unacceptable?”

Ms Robertson said the SQA had taken every step it could to free up teaching time.

Mr Mundell said this had not worked, adding: “Young people have been failed again for the third year in a row.”

The SQA chief executive responded: “My job is to ensure that we have fair and credible assessments on that we have played our part in addressing disruption to learning over the last couple of years and that is what we have done.

“Issues in relation to differential disruption to learning and some of the different experiences that young people faced are matters for the wider education system to consider.”

She said the SQA had done all it could to address disruption from the pandemic and consulted with parents’ groups.

Labour MSP Michael Marra said pupils had suffered “lost learning” due to certain aspects of courses not being taught during the pandemic.

He asked if universities or colleges would instead be providing this missed education.

Ms Robertson sad there had been discussions with higher education providers about a “whole-system approach”.

Green MSP Ross Greer asked about revision guides produced in April, saying: “Do you accept now that at least some of the content in those papers was patronising and not of particularly high value to a 17-year-old?”

The SQA chief executive said this material was a “brief study guide” and “those tips were absolutely well-meant”.

Ms Robertson also spoke to the committee about planned strike action by SQA staff represented by Unite, saying she shared concerns that it could disrupt the appeals process.

She said a new pay offer had been tabled earlier this week to try and avert industrial action.