Local parents of pupils who sat this year’s Higher History exam have thrown their weight behind calls for an urgent independent review into how the exam was marked.
The backlash comes as it was confirmed that education secretary Jenny Gilruth will meet with the SQA next week, after the release of the 2024 exam papers and marking instructions sparked fresh demands for an investigation.
Teachers told The Herald that the documents clearly demonstrate “the reality of stricter marking and greater detail required” than had previously been the case for Higher History students.
Speaking to The P&J, one former head of History even compared it to the Post Office scandal.
Marking of Higher History exam ‘raised questions’
We spoke to the parent of a pupil at Kemnay Academy last week, Colin Ross, who said discrepancies between his son Kyle’s – and many of his classmates’ – marks in Part 1 and Part 2 of the History paper had “raised questions”.
Kyle’s university future could now be in jeopardy as a result of missing out on an A grade.
Mr Ross said other pupils at Kemnay Academy had been similarly affected, and believed that the problem was “widespread nationally”.
Since publishing our article, The P&J has been inundated with correspondence from parents, pupils, and even a former head of History – all of whom are convinced that something is amiss.
Mr Ross feels Part 2 of the exam didn’t reflect the course, and that a greater level of detail was required of answers than pupils were led to believe. He added that past papers didn’t properly reflect Part 2 of the exam either.
“They moved the goalposts,” he said.
The pass mark on the Higher History exam dropped nationally by 13.1% compared to 2023, and in the offending Part 2 of the exam, by 25%.
The SQA denied there was an issue with the marking of the Higher History exam, telling The P&J last week: “The marking instructions for Higher History this year were the same as last year, and we are confident that the attainment rate reflects the performance of learners.”
Shades of Post Office scandal: SQA ‘protecting the brand at all costs’
However, that didn’t wash with P&J readers from across the north-east and Highlands.
One former head of History said: “They [the SQA] have twisted things so much, it’s awful.
“I don’t know what happens from here. The SQA have doubled down on their line – ‘it wasn’t us, it was the kids’ – but I know a few teachers have the bit between their teeth, and now the press are on to it, so you never know.
“It’s genuinely dire.”
He even compared it to the Post Office scandal: “Protect the brand at all costs”.
One parent said: “My daughter has also been affected by the Higher History marking disaster.
“She needed an A for university but was awarded a B. She’s never had a B in this subject before.
“The SQA are hoping this quietly goes away – look at their parroting of the lower grades simply being “a reflection of learners’ knowledge” and so on.
“A lot of parents will just accept the script from the SQA and Scottish Government but we must stand up for our young people. Some parents might not know how to raise the issue.”
‘The SQA are checking their own homework’
Another parent contacted us to say: “My child had similar discrepancies between Paper 1 and Paper 2. Their grade on Paper 2 was low enough to make the overall result a B – not enough for their preferred university course.
“I have raised the same concerns with the SQA over the marking of Paper 2. I have had quite considerable correspondence with the SQA and have twice been told that my complaint has been rejected because it didn’t fit the criteria for a formal complaint, because in their mind I am questioning academic judgement.
“The SQA are checking their own homework and finding no mistakes. An independent review is indeed urgently required.”
And the parent of another pupil told The P&J: “My son – and another student in his class – also went from a consistently predicted A to a high B. It was devastating to see his disappointment, and that one B among four As.
“He is currently progressing with plans to apply to study at university. It is therefore really important he appeals – which he has done – or resits and gets the A he is completely capable of.
“Something was clearly different this year and that just seems so unfair.”
‘Papers should be fully remarked’
Another parent said: “I fully agree with Mr Ross’s concerns and comments regarding the SQA marking and appeals process.
“I also have first-hand experience of their poor response around complaints.
“Both my children have suffered severe impact in university choices based on hugely different predicted and actual grades.
“The lack of transparency around marking when students with straight As fail isn’t acceptable.
“As Mr Ross said, the appeal is useless as all they do is recount marks. Papers should be fully remarked.”
A Kemnay Academy student who sat the Higher History exam before the summer said: “All through the year I was estimated to get a B due to prelim results and class assessments.
“However, come results day I was heavily disappointed to see I had received a ‘No Award’, with a total of 2 out of 36 on Paper 2.
“When I returned to school after the summer, my previous teacher pulled me aside and wondered why I had gone from being one of two students to achieve the highest marks, to receiving a ‘No Award’.”
Ms Gilruth will meet with senior SQA officials to discuss concerns over the marking of Higher History exam papers on Wednesday, September 18.
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