EDUCATION COMMITTEE CALLS FOR ACTION AT ALL LEVELS TO PREVENT A FUTURE EXAM CRISIS

Scotland's exam system came close to total collapse this summer according to a report published today by the Parliament's influential Education, Culture and Sport Committee.

Having carried out a highly detailed analysis of the Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA) crisis, the all-party committee concludes that:

• The exams "shambles" was found to be worse than any report has so far identified;
• There were serious failures at both Board and Management level of the SQA;
• The design and implementation of 'Higher Still' remains open to criticism;
• There is an inherent conflict of interest in Her Majesty's Inspectorate's role as controllers of the 'Higher Still' Development and as evaluators of its success.

The Report, which follows an intensive three-month inquiry, focuses on four key areas:

• Remit and role of the SQA in issuing Scottish Qualification Certificates;
• The impact of the performance of the SQA this year on school pupils, and their future prospects;
• Causes of the difficulties encountered this year;
• Role of the Executive and its relationship with SQA.

Commenting on the inquiry, Committee Convener Mary Mulligan MSP said:

"This report is the first complete analysis of the exams crisis, getting right to the root of the problems, from the implementation of Higher Still, through the inadequate staffing and equipping of the SQA, to the failure by the Executive to work effectively with the SQA to overcome serious problems.

"The committee has made no less than 56 recommendations with the sole aim of avoiding the shambles we saw this summer.

"Our position is crystal clear, and set out as our primary recommendation: All possible measures must be taken to ensure that pupils should never have to face such an experience again. The credibility of the Scottish exam system - critically damaged this year - has to be restored.

"Our root and branch analysis of the SQA crisis identifies serious deficiencies at all levels. It is clear to the committee, from the evidence we received, that the Scottish exam system came perilously close to total collapse this summer. That must never happen again.

"Higher Still - which many witnesses claimed had been introduced un-tested and with undue haste - was meant to make the exam system simpler, more efficient and easily understood by all involved. Had these aims been realised it is unlikely that this summer's catastrophic failure would have occurred.

"To say there was a lack of preparation and foresight by SQA is an understatement. Our report shows that vital areas of SQA were under-staffed, under-resourced, subject to poor internal and external communications, and the management and board were complacent and unwilling to admit these shortcomings until it was too late.

"In terms of the SQA, our Report concludes: 'Key figures … took an enormous and unjustifiable gamble on getting everything all right on the day at considerable cost to the staff and their welfare, and to the detriment of parents, pupils and teachers. In the end, the gamble failed and the consequences, as we have seen, were much more damaging than would have otherwise been the case, had the organisation simply been frank, honest and straightforward with all concerned and admitted it was in difficulties which might not be overcome'.

"The Executive and Ministers must also look carefully at their roles in the crisis. The committee believes that the Executive could, given their serious concern, have intervened on the issue of the publication date for results. We are also surprised that Ministers - given the breakdown in normal working relationships between the Executive and SQA - did not take further action to deal with the impact that delay would have on the confidence in the exam system.

"We are reassured that the new Education Minister has already announced action on a number of fronts. But we are looking for more, and expect the Executive to study our report carefully and act quickly on its many recommendations.

"In particular, we are looking for significant changes in the role of HMI. A lot of evidence we received suggested a conflict of interest for HMI in the implementation and monitoring of Higher Still. This has to be addressed.

"The committee wishes to pay tribute to our two advisers, Dr Hamish Long and Professor Andrew McGettrick, whose expert report on the IT aspects of the crisis has led to 22 detailed and potentially critical recommendations. One of Professor McGettrick's most worrying findings is the apparent lack of action relating to the Millennium Bug and his conclusion that it is "conceivable" that there is still a Millennium-type Bug lurking in the background to jeopardise the 2001 Exams Diet."

BACKGROUND NOTES

The key (numbered) recommendations in the Report are outlined below.

The full Report, featuring all 56 recommendations, is published on the Parliament's website and is also available from Stationery Office bookshops. Link to Report.

2. SQA must adopt a new culture of transparency, openness and co-operation with regard to any difficulties it might face in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities.

5 & 6 There should be a review of the procedure for providing cumulative certificates and a review of core skills certification.

7 & 8 SQA should make an early start to recruitment of markers for 2001 and their fees should be reviewed.

9 There should be a review of the timing and duration of the exams Diet.

10 Consideration should be given to the return of the candidates' scripts in future years.

16 & 17 All forms, electronic or paper, and coding systems used for entry of results should be reviewed and simplified, and the SQA should review and refine its Awards Processing System.

20 It should be ensured SQA has in place an appropriate risk assessment strategy.

21 There should be a re-definition of the focus and mission of SQA towards its candidates, its centres and partners, and to their needs and expectations.

22 SQA should ensure it has sufficient staff at senior level who are qualified and experienced in educational measurement, in data management and in the administration of public exams and national certification.

25 SQA should ensure it puts in place a greatly improved internal and external communications system.

27 There should be a review of the role and accountability of HMI. Their role should be more transparent and any conflict between the duties of inspection of educational research, and of acting as assessors for and advisers to The Scottish Executive should be explored and resolved.

29 & 30 The Executive should impose a moratorium on the introduction of further phases of Higher Still until successful delivery of the 2001 package and the Higher Still assessment arrangements should be reviewed with a view to simplification.

31 & 32 The Executive should participate in the review of the structure of SQA Board and its committees and should bring forward proposals for future monitoring of SQA and its operations.

33 The Executive should conduct a review of its own activities and relationship with SQA in the months leading up to 10 August 2000 to determine why its interventions were ineffective in preventing the problems with the issue of qualifications certificates.

34 The powers of the Executive and Ministers to intervene in the operation of SQA and the circumstances in which they may do so should be clarified and detailed.

35 There should be an independent external investigation of SQA software to determine any so far unidentified reasons that could have contributed to the events of the 2000 Diet.

40 The full distributed SQA computer system should be checked as a matter of urgency for Millennium compliance, taking into account the new software systems that are now in place. The possibility of a conflict between UK and US date conventions should not be overlooked.