Hundreds of students lose out over poor exam marking

Christopher King, headmaster of Leicester Grammar School and chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), is expected to reveal the problem at the annual conference at St Andrews University, Scotland.

At the conference he will explain how the system is failing the students: “We know of cases where, after re-remarks have come through, their pupils are confirmed as having exceeded the offer of their first choice university yet have nevertheless been told - inexplicably - that they no longer have a place for that year.

“So they have been let down twice: first by inaccurate marking and second by a university unwilling to behave honourably.  We all know this can have a terrible impact on the young people concerned."

According to the headmaster, 77,450 A-level and GCSE papers were regraded last year, a 42 per cent increase compared to the previous year where 54,400 were resubmitted. He claimed the education system is facing a “perfect storm of both decreasing public confidence and increasing pressure in the system as the greater emphasis on end-of-term exams creates even more work for examiners over the summer".

King maintains that he “will not rest until the UK has the quality assured exam system its young people deserve”. He will call for "a larger and more skilled marker workforce" which is more thoroughly trained and well paid along with an appeals system which is easier to understand.

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