Council welcomes cancelled Highers exams

Orkney Islands Council has welcomed news that the Scottish Government has taken a definitive stance that Higher and Advanced Higher exams will not go ahead this year and will be replaced instead by an assessment model based on teacher judgement and evidence of pupils' attainment.

James Wylie, Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing Committee: “We welcome the clarity this announcement has brought pupils, parents and education staff. We look forward now to receiving written guidelines from the Scottish Government’s Learning Directorate and the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority). Once we have received and analysed that guidance we will of course inform pupils and parents about the structures and processes that will be put in place.

“We expect that, like the National 5 award, Highers and Advanced Highers awards this academic year will be based on teacher and lecturer judgement, linked to moderated internal assessment. We will be working closely with the SQA and the Scottish Government to follow best practice and ensure a fair, consistent and manageable process that everyone can have full confidence in.”

Gwenda Shearer, Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, said: “It is very welcome to now have this degree of certainty in what has been a challenging year. I look forward to seeing an analysis of the guidelines by our Education service and the plans that will be put in place to give our pupils the very best education in these exceptional times.”