Exam results in England need to return to pre-pandemic levels this year to ensure GCSE and A-levels carry “weight and credibility” with employers, universities and colleges, the schools minister has said.
Nick Gibb said there is an “expectation” that exam aids in some GCSE subjects – which were used this summer to acknowledge pandemic disruption to learning – will not be offered to students next year.
His comments come after Covid-19 led to an increase in top GCSE, AS and A-level grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.
England’s exams regulator Ofqual has said this year’s national results will be lower than last year, but they are expected to be similar to those before the pandemic.
Pupils in England have faced some level of disruption to their schooling due to Covid-19, as well as a series of teacher strikes by members of the National Education Union (NEU) since February this year.
In an interview with the PA news agency ahead of students receiving their results, Mr Gibb said: “It is important to get back to normal because we want these qualifications to continue to carry the weight and credibility both with employers and with universities and colleges that they need to have.”
