Government Response

The Government responded to this petition on Wednesday 17th February 2021

Exams for vocational and technical qualifications are only continuing currently where they signal occupational competency. We will announce arrangements for summer term exams by end of February.

Students have worked hard and prepared for their exams and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications, including many BTECs, so it is right that schools and colleges had the option to run them in January.

Unlike GCSE and A level exams that were due to take place this summer, students’ study and preparation for their January vocational and technical exams had not been disrupted by the new public health measures we announced on 5 January to help limit the transmission of coronavirus.

Some students need to complete an occupational or professional competency assessment to enter into the workplace – it is important they continue to have the opportunity to do so, so that they are not prevented from progressing onto the next stage of their lives.

The Department for Education has provided advice to schools and colleges on the extensive protective measures needed to make exam halls as safe as possible, which is why schools and colleges delivered the January assessments, if they judged it right to do so. The advice is part of guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision) on implementing safely the phased return to face-to-face education.

The Department for Education is working with Ofqual on arrangements for those students who did not take their January assessments, as well as for vocational and technical exams and assessments scheduled for February onwards. Responses to the public consultation (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-alternative-arrangements-for-the-award-of-vtqs-and-other-general-qualifications-in-2021) are currently being analysed. The arrangements will make sure qualifications are awarded fairly and consistently, so that no student is either advantaged or disadvantaged when compared to their peers. We aim to publish the response to the consultation by the end of February.

Department for Education

Parliamentary Debate

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