Official Report (Hansard)

Tuesday 18 August 2020 Volume 130, No 1

Session 2019-2020

Contents

Assembly Business………………………………………………………………………………………1

Private Members' Business

AS-level and A-level Grading Crisis ...... 1

Assembly Members

Aiken, Steve (South Antrim) Kearney, Declan (South Antrim) Allen, Andy (East Belfast) Kelly, Ms Catherine (West Tyrone) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Archibald, Dr Caoimhe (East Londonderry) Kimmins, Ms Liz (Newry and Armagh) Armstrong, Ms Kellie (Strangford) Long, Mrs Naomi (East Belfast) Bailey, Ms Clare (South Belfast) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Barton, Mrs Rosemary (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Beattie, Doug (Upper Bann) Lyons, Gordon (East Antrim) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Blair, John (South Antrim) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Bradley, Maurice (East Londonderry) McCrossan, Daniel (West Tyrone) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Bradley, Ms Sinéad (South Down) McGrath, Colin (South Down) Bradshaw, Ms Paula (South Belfast) McGuigan, Philip (North Antrim) Buchanan, Keith (Mid Ulster) McHugh, Maolíosa (West Tyrone) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Buckley, Jonathan (Upper Bann) McLaughlin, Ms Sinead (Foyle) Bunting, Ms Joanne (East Belfast) McNulty, Justin (Newry and Armagh) Butler, Robbie (Lagan Valley) Mallon, Ms Nichola (North Belfast) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) Maskey, Alex (Speaker) Carroll, Gerry (West Belfast) Middleton, Gary (Foyle) Catney, Pat (Lagan Valley) Muir, Andrew (North Down) Chambers, Alan (North Down) Mullan, Ms Karen (Foyle) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Dillon, Ms Linda (Mid Ulster) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Dodds, Mrs Diane (Upper Bann) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Dolan, Ms Jemma (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) O'Toole, Matthew (South Belfast) Easton, Alex (North Down) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Ennis, Ms Sinéad (South Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Flynn, Ms Órlaithí (West Belfast) Rogan, Ms Emma (South Down) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Sheerin, Ms Emma (Mid Ulster) Gildernew, Colm (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Stalford, Christopher (South Belfast) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Stewart, John (East Antrim) Hargey, Ms Deirdre (South Belfast) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Harvey, Harry (Strangford) Sugden, Ms Claire (East Londonderry) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Weir, Peter (Strangford) Hunter, Ms Cara (East Londonderry) Wells, Jim (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Woods, Miss Rachel (North Down)

Northern Ireland Assembly

Tuesday 18 August 2020

The Assembly met at 12.00 noon (Mr Speaker in the Chair).

Members observed two minutes' silence.

Assembly Business Private Members' Business

Mr Speaker: Members, before we proceed with AS-level and A-level Grading Crisis today's business, I want to acknowledge that this is the first sitting of the Assembly since the Mr Speaker: Before I move on to the main item sad passing of the late John Hume. I wrote, of of today's business, Members, I will make some course, to express the condolences of the introductory remarks on the upcoming debate Assembly to Pat Hume and her family, but I before formally commencing it shortly. want to ensure that the Assembly has the ability Members will be aware that we announced the to pay tribute to such a figure in the normal way establishment of a Youth Assembly, here, in the in due course. Members should be aware that Chamber, in July. In the past week, we have my office is liaising with the SDLP directly on heard the voices of many young people on the the timing of formal tributes to both John Hume matters that we are gathered to discuss today. and John Dallat when business resumes in It is not for me, of course, to comment on the September, and Members will be given the issues involved this afternoon, and we are proper time to record their reflections. clearly in very unusual and challenging times, but I have role in being concerned about how the Assembly is perceived and in building public confidence in this institution. Today, there may be many people watching our business for the first time, and I therefore ask all Members to bear that in mind in how we conduct this very important debate.

The Assembly was recalled today on the basis of a motion with cross-party support. Clearly, circumstances have changed significantly since the original motion was tabled. I want to record slight disappointment that, this morning, I was in a position of having to select between a number of amendments, which, for the most part, shared common principles. I think that it would have helped proceedings today, and would have sent a much more positive message, had a cross-party amendment been presented to update the motion. I do not want to dwell on that now, but I ask all parties to reflect on that for the future.

We are mindful that there are many young people of a new generation watching today who have a direct interest in these issues, so let us ensure that the debate is constructive and informative from their perspective. On that basis, Members, I will move on to the one substantive motion on the Order Paper, the motion on the AS-level and A-Level grading crisis.

1 Tuesday 18 August 2020

Mr McCrossan: I beg to move from the comments made by the Speaker in relation to the former SDLP leader, MEP, MP, That this Assembly is deeply concerned that the MLA and peacemaker, John Hume. It was with modelling used to calculate grades for AS great sadness that we learned of John's death . levels and A levels has awarded incorrect He had been unwell for some time, as many will results for students across Northern Ireland; have known. Unfortunately, in the and calls on the Minister of Education to award circumstances that we faced during COVID, we students the highest of their AS, teacher- could not give John the send-off that we would predicted or CCEA grades for A levels, AS have liked, albeit that he got a really lovely levels and GCSEs due to exceptional Covid-19 send-off in his home city of Derry. I know that circumstances. many would have loved to have lined the streets, paid tribute to him and comforted his Mr Speaker: The Business Committee has family, and many would have loved to have said agreed to allow up to two hours and 30 minutes thank you to John for the huge sacrifices that for the debate. Your amendment has been he made that, undoubtedly and absolutely, selected, Mr McCrossan, and is published on benefited each and every one of us and the the Marshalled List. Please move the children of this society. I welcome the Speaker's amendment. confirmation that we will have an opportunity in September, hopefully, to pay tribute to him. He was of such significance to this place that only Mr McCrossan: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I history will properly reflect it. welcome you back to your duties after being off for a few months and I wish you well in Mr Speaker, I asked for the support of parties to resuming those duties. I also thank the recall the Assembly today, very importantly to Assembly and parties for supporting the recall ensure that the concerns shared by young petition that I felt was so absolutely necessary people, parents, teachers and the public across in order to have the debate today. Northern Ireland could be heard and that we, as a House, could speak and act on that. I am I will start by —. delighted, however, that, late yesterday, the Minister moved from his original position to a Mr Speaker: Will you move the amendment? position that we had discussed in detail over the course of the past months, particularly in the Mr McCrossan: I beg to move the amendment past week. What happened this week to 28,000 of our young people, particularly the 11,000 Leave out all after ‘Northern Ireland’ and insert: students and young people who had their grades downgraded, was unforgivable. The “; welcomes the Minister of Education’s system failed them incredibly, and after —. decision to reverse the unfair model used for awarding grades to ensure students now Mr Stalford: Will the Member give way? receive the higher of their teacher-predicted or CCEA grades for A levels, AS levels and Mr McCrossan: I will, shortly. GCSEs due to exceptional Covid-19 circumstances; recognises the immense stress, After months of warning the Council for the anxiety and disruption this has caused many Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment students; further recognises the resultant (CCEA) and the Minister about the concerns implications for local colleges and universities; that were being shared with me, I was very and calls on the Minister to work urgently with frustrated to see that the Minister and the chief Executive colleagues to provide clarity and executive of CCEA were adamant that they guidance to students and educational would continue, quite determinedly, down the institutions.” line that they were going, which has absolutely disadvantaged quite a number of young people. Mr Speaker: Thank you for your kind words. By convention, when a Member or a Minister seeks I thank the various parties that signed the recall to amend their own motion, they are invited to petition. It is vital that we are having the debate, address both the motion and the amendment and although the debate has shifted somewhat, within the 10 minutes that are allocated to them. serious issues remain that must be addressed. Therefore, you will have 10 minutes to address both the motion and the amendment. All other The reality of the situation that we are in today Members who wish to speak will have five is that young people in our respective minutes. constituencies, whom we represent, have been Mr McCrossan: Before I speak on the motion let down and failed. I welcome very strongly the and the amendment, it is important to follow on

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Minister's move, in the first half of the day, on realised at that stage that we were on a slippery GCSE and, in the second half of the day, on A slope. level and AS level. I just regret that it did not happen sooner and that the concerns and The reality is that, even given all the concerns worries of young people, teachers and that were raised, the Minister and Justin academics across Northern Ireland and further Edwards, the chief executive of CCEA, were afield were ignored. determined to see that system out, to die in a ditch for a model that was untried and untested I raised considerable concerns with the Minister and to stand by an algorithm that no one has and CCEA, as did others. David Canning has even seen. That brings me to a fundamental been a huge support and help to me in that point: I asked on Friday, as I have done for regard. At a very early stage, when exams were months, for the algorithm to be produced for cancelled, we realised that there would be huge checking. We are now sitting on Tuesday and difficulties in trying to roll out the system. It is a the public have not yet had sight of it. Why is system that has failed and confirmed our worst there a huge cloak of secrecy surrounding the concerns. The reality is that young people will processes of CCEA? There are serious pay the price for that. questions about the processes that determined grades — they have not been checked — and Minister, I am glad that you have moved, but I dismissed the judgement of teachers. I had to regret that it took Boris Johnson or London to listen all week to Justin Edwards, the chief move first. That really begs this question of the executive, saying that teachers' judgement House: are we here as public representatives of could not be trusted. However, early yesterday the people of the North of Ireland, Northern morning, the Minister said that we could trust Ireland or whatever you want to call it? Are we teachers' judgement when it came to GCSEs. here to represent them, or are we to take our Then, by 4.00 pm, it was, "We'll trust teachers' lead from London? Are we here to put first the judgement in terms of A level and AS level now best interests of our young people and as well". How our teachers have been treated is teachers, or are we to follow the British intolerable and unacceptable. Government and their agenda? There are really serious questions about what has happened The House needs to do what is right for the here. Yes, we are in a better position today than people whom we represent, not follow London. we were in yesterday, but huge damage has Have we learned nothing from the chaos of still been caused. Damage has been caused to Brexit or the Government? It is vital that, at all the mental health of young people. Teachers times, we put the interests of the people whom have been offended and annoyed. we represent first. That brings me to an important point: I want the Minister to tell us Mr Stalford: I am grateful to the Member for whether he will produce the formula or giving way. He is, obviously, a member of the algorithm to the public to be checked. That is Education Committee. Does he recall, on 22 what caused the situation to begin with. It is a April — this is in Hansard — that his description situation that downgraded students from a of the model that was put in place was a: grade C to a U, and then, at 7.00 pm on the night before the results were released to young "complex fix ... to what is a very difficult people, they were told that it was an anomaly. situation"? Young people are not anomalies. Their futures cannot be hung in the balance of an algorithm If it was a "fix" on 22 April, how can you say that that has not been tried or tested. you were warning about it for months? 12.15 pm Mr McCrossan: Thanks very much for your intervention. You will note — this has been Our Minister stood firmly, even on Friday, acknowledged by the Minister and the chief defending the system, but here we are today. I executive of CCEA — that I have raised will say again that I welcome it. Our young considerable concerns about it. Throughout the people are relieved; they are happy that we are past few months that have led to today, I was in this situation. The reality is that, when it told by the chief executive and the Minister that comes to university places, a huge number of it was a work in progress and that they would our young people have been rejected. Again, get a model that, they felt, would work. It turned on Friday at the Committee for Education, the out, from information that was received shortly Minister told me that he was assured by the after that date, that that was not going to be the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service case. From that, I raised concerns over Zoom (UCAS) that young people would not lose with Justin Edwards, the chief executive, and I university places. That was incorrect. I was not out of the Chamber two minutes before a spate

3 Tuesday 18 August 2020 of emails told me otherwise. Who is advising listened to the concerns outlined by students the Minister on this? He is severely off-track. and teachers throughout Northern Ireland.

I also welcome the Minister's apology, given There was never going to be a perfect solution. publicly to teachers and young people, but, Despite the stress that exams bring, I am sure Minister, we need to go further. We need to that our young people would have preferred to guarantee, as an Executive, that our young sit their exams, but, for this year, that was never people will get the places that they should have going to be the case. There is no doubt that we and not suffer at the hands of a system that are in unusual times, and, hopefully, we never failed them, let them down and was defended have a year like this again. Like other Members, by you, Minister, and Justin Edwards, the chief I have been contacted by parents, students and executive. teachers outlining their concerns about the awarding of A level and AS level grades this Ms Hunter: Will the Member give way? year. It is only fair that those students are treated the same as GCSE pupils and awarded Mr McCrossan: I will. the grades predicted by their teachers. The Minister's decision to revert to the predicted grades is correct. I have every faith in our Ms Hunter: Does the Member agree that the teachers. They have been working hard with last week has caused significant stress and their students to prepare them for exams for the anxiety for our students across Northern Ireland past two years, if not longer. They know their that will, undoubtedly, have a detrimental strengths and what is achievable. I have no impact on their well-being? Does he also agree doubt that the prediction of grades was a that it is vital that we give them extra resources difficult process for teaching staff. They did not during this challenging time? make those decisions easily, and we should thank our teachers for all their hard work in Mr McCrossan: I thank the Member for her preparing their students. intervention. Yes, young people have suffered incredibly. GPs and the mental health champion From the outset, it was clear that Minister Weir have talked about the impact on the mental did not want our young people to be health of our young people. That is an disadvantaged, and that needs to be unforgivable situation, Minister. An apology will highlighted. Minister Weir's announcement not suffice, but action will. Moving now to rectify brings Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the issues and ensure university places for our the UK and, most importantly, means that our young people is key in all of this, as well as young people will not be disadvantaged. The transparency around the processes by which past few days have caused huge distress to determinations were reached that outflanked thousands of young people. For many, their the judgement of teachers. plans have been scrapped, and others have had to rethink their future. We are in difficult I commend the motion and the amendment to times, and we hope that we will not be placed in the House. a scenario like this again. However, I reach out to the young people and ask them to be patient. Mr M Bradley: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is nice to see you in the Chair. It is also nice for In closing, I ask the Minister and his officials to me to be here after isolation. look at the pupils who are content with their grades, to ensure that the new method of As already alluded to many times in the grading will not disadvantage them in any way, Chamber, we are in unprecedented times and and to set up urgent dialogue with universities have been forced into making unprecedented to ensure that there are places available and decisions, none more so than those that affect that appropriate finances are available for our economy, our health system and, most students who wish to attend university here, on importantly, our education system. In an ideal the mainland, in Europe or in the Republic of world, young people would have been able to Ireland. sit their examinations as normal. However, we are not in an ideal world, and the recent method Ms Mullan: It is good to see you back. of grading examination results has left many young anxious, distressed and angry. Those I speak in support of the motion and the feelings have been replicated by parents and amendment. I acknowledge the deep upset, teachers alike. I congratulate the Minister and distress, frustration and anxiety that have his staff for their efforts over the past few days. burdened thousands of our young people over It was a case of "You cannot do right for doing the last week. This time of year is usually wrong", and I am pleased that the Minister has difficult enough for many, but the way in which

4 Tuesday 18 August 2020 this debacle has played out in the context of the last number of months, we have constantly truly exceptional circumstances has heard about the new normal. Let us be compounded the distress and upset of those adventurous and use this time to explore the young people. new normal in education and put our children and young people first and foremost and not Young people have sacrificed an awful lot have an outdated exams system. throughout this global health pandemic, and it is important that we recognise that. The very least I could accept the argument made about the that they deserved in the absence of the usual anomalies if this was an isolated incident. The exam process was a system that was fair and fact is that drastic examples of downgrading transparent and that recognised their hard were replicated right across schools in the work, ability and potential in the subjects that North. That pointed to a flawed, unfit, unfair and they had elected to take. Unfortunately and unreliable system, and our students deserved unacceptably, students were failed in that far better. I sincerely hope that lessons will be regard. learned from this by the Minister, his Department and CCEA. I welcome the fact that Like other Members, I have had numerous the Minister recognised the need to overhaul phone calls and contacts over the last week his approach. I also welcome his apology to the from distraught students, concerned parents young people. However, Minister, everyone and frustrated principals and teachers. There else was away ahead on this issue. Other was understandable and warranted shock and parties had demonstrated a willingness to work disappointment at how the process, which was together in order to reach a workable solution designed to standardise results, could that worked for our young people and respected downgrade over 11,000 A-level grades, our teachers. The motion agreed by the completely throwing the professional Education Committee last week and today's judgements of our teachers to one side. I found motion are testament to that. it impossible to comprehend that teachers who had spent years working with young people, One of the most frustrating aspects of this had built relationships with them and are best whole episode is that many of us raised placed to understand their strengths, concerns with the Minister and CCEA. This weaknesses, potential and overall ability, would could have been avoided if the Minister had not have their professional judgement disregarded followed the Tories and waited for England to to allow for an untried and untested computer lead. The Minister needs to take a stark lesson algorithm to cast the final assertion on the from this: you are in a devolved stand-alone results of AS and A levels. Assembly that has its own mandate and powers. Use that mandate and powers for the Mr Stalford: Will the Member give way? betterment of all young people here in the North. Ms Mullan: Yes. As we head into the 2020-21 academic year, I am fearful that all the lessons of this year have Mr Stalford: The Member will recall her not been heard and taken on board. As the colleague who is sitting on the Back Bench, mother of a daughter who is entering year 12 Catherine Kelly, saying, in relation to teachers: next week, I worry that her year and year 14 could be severely disenfranchised. "I believe that we need to be very careful Those young people have lost four months' around that. How will teachers ascertain learning and teaching, right in the middle of a grades when there is little to no evidence of two-year course for GCSEs and A levels. I urge continual assessment?" the Minister to look urgently at the curriculum for those courses and ensure that young people That was at the Education Committee on 22 are not left in the same situation next year. The April. focus now needs to be on clear and concise guidance for principals, teachers, pupils and Ms Mullan: I thank the Member for his parents. The Minister needs to reassure us all comments. that the mishandling of the exams fiasco will not follow him into restart. Let us not allow the The Minister and CCEA were all about chaos of this exams debacle to define the protecting the system and disregarding the restart of our education system. needs of the young people. If we trust teachers more, this process will level out and we will find Mr Speaker: I call Mr Robbie Butler. the true ability of our young people, which is not Mr Butler: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I always reflected in the pressure of testing. Over welcome you back after the long break. I want

5 Tuesday 18 August 2020 to pass on my regards to the SDLP. It has had CCEA with carrying on that work post-haste to a hard time over the past year: it lost not only make sure that universities and further John Hume recently but John Dallat and education colleges are able to allocate places Séamus Mallon, so there has been a great loss fairly. to the SDLP family. In the next two minutes I will give a couple of I want to acknowledge the voices that have examples. The first example, and I have heard been mobilised over the past four or five days. it many times, is one that came to me. A young There have been many, and they have been female student who lives in Lagan Valley was loud. Each of us, regardless of the party that we predicted four straight As in her A levels. She are in, will have been inundated by emails, text was an A-grade pupil; a high-achieving pupil. messages, Facebook messages and phone Instead, she got one A, two Bs and one C. We calls, at all hours of the day and night. The know that that will be fixed. The potential loss to voices were those of students, parents, carers, her was a place at Queen's to study law. I teachers, other professionals and student believe that we can and should catch the tail of advocate bodies, and they all agreed that that, but there were some lost days. something needed to be done because something just was not right. We absolutely are This next example is more stark, so please in unique times and unique circumstances, and listen to it. I have permission to share this, there is no doubt that we needed a unique without giving the name. A student was response to the problem. awarded a U, an E and a D. His target grades were not As or Bs but Cs and Ds. The young The Minister's U-turn on the GCSE and A-level man had a mother who was severely mentally ill awards, with the decision to award students the and was assessed many years ago as not best of their teacher-predicted or CCEA grades, being capable of looking after her family. The is one that everybody here should be rightly young man's problems were compounded by grateful for. That will bring great comfort and the fact that his dad was violent and had a give some hope to those students and their temper. On his fifth attempt to run away from families. I do wish, however, that it had come home, this young man was successfully picked sooner. up within his own family and became a looked- after child. That bit is important: a looked-after During the Committee's work on this, there was, child; one of our most vulnerable. I know that I have to be honest, only a little bit of flag one of the Minister's priorities is to look at planting by some over the issue. I thought that educational underachievement, and this, right we worked collegiately and that it was one of here, is an example of that. This young man the best things that I have been involved with really wants to get his predicted grades of two as an MLA. There was some flag planting, but Cs and a D. What compounded his problem not too much. I thank my Committee colleagues was that, on her deathbed at the start of this for how robustly we worked on that together. I year, he made a promise to the granny who thought that that was remarkably good, and it took him in that he would go to university. That perhaps gives some hope to the people of was his promise to her. He wants to go to Northern Ireland that, when we come together, university. He does not want to be a doctor, a we can achieve much. lawyer or a teacher. He wants to be the best that he can be. That is what we want our young Let us look at what happened last week and people to be: the best that they can be, what those young people were faced with. regardless of what that is. We need to re- When they got their results on Thursday, some evaluate our values. We need to make sure that received emails from universities rejecting their that young man gets the opportunity that he place, which must have doubled down on their deserves and, indeed, that every student who pain. That was coupled with what already has been caught in this gets their opportunity. exists, and that is the anxiety related to getting exam results. For many of us, that was some 12.30 pm time ago, but that is a real pressure for young people, and it is probably worse now than when I know that mental health will get picked up, so I any of us went to school. That is picked up in will just leave it there because I am sure that the high levels of mental ill-health in Northern some of my colleagues will deal with that. Ireland. We know, from the information and data that we have, that adverse childhood experiences and trauma are what inform us Mr Lyttle: I thank the children and young now in how we are going to beat mental ill- people of Northern Ireland for the —. Is that health. As has already been picked out, 11,000 microphone on and picking me up OK, Mr grades will need to be changed, so I charge Speaker?

6 Tuesday 18 August 2020

Mr Lyttle: No, I will not give way. A Member: Unfortunately. [Laughter.] I note that that is not exactly what the Minister Mr Lyttle: Thank you. has announced, so I seek clarification on it. [Interruption.] Mr Speaker: I do not hear your microphone on. Mr Speaker: Order, now, Member.

Mr Lyttle: Is it OK to proceed? Mr Lyttle: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I seek clarification on that. Mr Speaker: It is on now.

Mr Weir (The Minister of Education): Just on Mr Lyttle: The light was not on. Thank you. that point, will the Member give way?

I thank the children and young people of Northern Ireland for the sacrifice and the Mr Lyttle: I am happy to give way if you want to contribution that they have made to limit the clarify that, Minister. impact of COVID in our community and, indeed, to save lives. I welcome the Minister's change Mr Weir: Just to clarify that. The Member is of position on the award of grades on their referring specifically to the situation with the AS behalf. I am delighted for the pupils, parents grade, and the grade will be the higher of the and teachers who have worked for this two. There are two reasons for that. The AS outcome, and I welcome the Minister's grade is based on 40% of the work whereas the apologies for the distress that they have other two grades represent the full two-year experienced. experience. However, we have also now reached a point at which everyone throughout However, there are concerns. It is concerning the United Kingdom, where there was going to that the Minister could oversee an approach be complete competition, is now in exactly the that produced such seriously flawed results for same position. Indeed Wales, where reference so many. In one school department, further to was previously made to the AS grade, has now the CCEA-calculated grades, the percentage of dropped that as an issue, and everybody is in pupils attaining A* to C grades reduced from the position of taking the higher of the two. I 90% to 60%, 20 of 126 pupils did not gain a think that it would disadvantage our pupils if we university place, one pupil who was rank- were to muddy the waters by introducing that. ordered by the school as second in the B band was awarded a D grade by CCEA and a pupil Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. who was rank-ordered 21st in the B band by the school was awarded a B grade by CCEA. Mr Lyttle: Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank Those are startling inconsistencies. the Minister for the intervention. He will, obviously, have a bit more time to go into that in It is also seriously concerning that a pattern is a bit more detail. emerging of a Minister who is consistently following a Conservative Government rather There is also a concerning pattern of failing to than leading for the people of Northern Ireland. heed contributions of the Education Committee That Conservative Government have adopted a and, indeed, the education profession. The slow, inadequate and flawed response to the Assembly and the Education Committee COVID-19 pandemic. I sat in the Assembly on consistently questioned the approach to this Wednesday 25 March as Chair of the Education matter, particularly the key aspects of it that Committee calling on the Education Minister to failed so many pupils so badly. In particular, set a date for the planned closure of schools those were the rank-ordering approach that I only to be told, "No. Now is not the time to close referred to and the past school performance. schools". Boris Johnson announced a closure of schools that same afternoon, and the The Minister was questioned about why the Minister of Education immediately followed suit. rescheduling of exams was dismissed and rank I sat in the same place last Friday and put to ordering was used at the Ad Hoc Committee at the Education Minister that the only fair option which he announced the cancellation of exams, was for him to award all pupils with whichever on 16 April, and the Education Committee held was highest of their AS-level, teacher-assessed a number of sessions on those matters. We or CCEA-calculated grade for GCSE and A were absolutely clear that grades must be level. I note —. awarded on the basis of individual ability, and, Mr Stalford: Will the Member give way? for Christopher Stalford, I will refer to some of

7 Tuesday 18 August 2020 that. The Education Committee wrote to CCEA Minister last week on the question of on 3 June emphasising that fairness and examinations"? transparency must be key to this approach and expressed considerable concern in respect of There it is on the record. the statistical model that was to be used to inform the awarding of grades, which had yet to Mr Speaker: The Member will have an extra be fully developed or subjected to any testing, minute. and concern that its characteristics and method of application had yet to be explained and Mr Newton: On that theme, last Friday's communicated to schools, including how the Committee meeting was telling in terms of its CCEA model would link to similar models politics; not the issue of the meeting but the across the UK. The Committee indicated clearly politics of the meeting. The Minister subjected that an examination and appeal process should himself to a grilling, and he is to be commended allow for individual variation and that for his performance at that meeting. We had professional teacher assessment would be a two members of CCEA sitting outside the door reliable basis on which to proceed. Indeed, it and were about to interview them when the also said that appeals should be based on the Chair did not want to divide the Committee but characteristics and application of the statistical wanted to take a vote before the Committee model, something that the Minister introduced listened to what CCEA had to say. only last week. So, we responded robustly. Peter Weir's tenure in office has been I hope that the Minister will engage with the characterised by his ability, his interest, his Committee on the matter, because urgent willingness and his giving of himself to attend clarifications are needed, particularly of the Committee meetings. He has been unstinting in timescale for grade allocations to pupils, that. I have to say that I have often wondered colleges and universities and, in particular, on why he has done it, considering what has how he will work with the Minister for the happened at some of the Committee meetings. Economy to ensure that those institutions have Minister Weir characterises the Assembly's all the support that they need to honour the ambitions for our education system. He has offers that they have made to pupils across recognised — this has already been paid tribute Northern Ireland. We cannot see this repeated to — that many children and young people do next year, so we need urgent clarity on what the not get the opportunities that they deserve and curriculum and assessment process will look has taken action on it. He also acknowledges like next year, including what contingency plan that there are many young people who do well, will be in place for post-primary admissions in and he wants to support them so that they do 2021. even better. Minister Weir has made no comment about the campaign across Northern Mr Speaker: I call Robin Newton. Ireland or across the UK. All he did was take action to make sure that Northern Ireland Mr Newton: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Like students were not disadvantaged in the UK. others, I welcome you back to the Chair. We all want the best education system, the best In my opening remarks, I pay tribute to the opportunities, the best qualifications and the pupils, students and teaching professionals of best skill sets for our children, our pupils, our Northern Ireland. I want to recognise that, students; indeed, that has characterised however you measure it, our education system Minister Weir's tenure. We want the best is second to none across the world. It provides examination results, and we want students to opportunities for progress. It provides be tested against the best. We want that opportunities for those with ambition and because we know that Northern Ireland supports those who need support. That is students do extremely well. They have done characteristic of what the Minister has tried to extremely well this year and have done so in do in his tenure in office. the past. I have no doubt that they will do extremely well in future. Their abilities compare Mr Stalford: I appreciate the Member giving very favourably with any other set of pupils. way, because Mr Lyttle was so reluctant to. Does the Member recall Mr Lyttle saying — it is As I said, Minister Weir has attended the in Hansard: Committee unstintingly, but we need to move on to where we go next. I welcome two "It is safe to say that we, along with comments that were made, one of which was students, teachers, schools and parents, by Mr Alan Hutchinson, the principal, I believe, welcomed the clarity provided by the of Glastry College, in today's 'Belfast Telegraph' today. Commenting on Mr Weir, he said:

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was political pressure, not conscience, that "I think it is only proper that recognition is moved the British Government and the DUP. given to the Minister for Education, Mr Peter "Sorry" is not enough: the damage has already Weir, for doing the right thing. I appreciate been done. University and college places have that he was under considerable pressure to already been lost, and young lives have already change his position on the grading system been disrupted. A month that should have been employed by CCEA and, in such filled with celebrations and preparation will for circumstances, change requires great ever be remembered as an anxious and courage." distressing time. A month that should have been filled with excitement for the future was That comment was followed by another replaced by uncertainty and confusion. educational professional, who tweeted: I call on DUP Ministers Peter Weir and Diane "It's a sign of strength and leadership to be Dodds to work together to ensure that all of the able to reverse such a decision and I young people who lost out when they were acknowledge and admire that Minister and I denied proper grades last week are helped to am grateful. Integrity is about doing the right find a university or college place to meet their thing no matter how hard it is. This decision needs. shows integrity and leadership." The British Government should play their part There are those who have criticised the Minister by removing the cap that they imposed on in the debate. Ms Mullan, the Deputy Chair of university places this year. We have already the Education Committee called the situation a seen young people take to the streets to "debacle". She said that students were failed express their anger and demand their right to and deserved far better. Our students deserve be treated fairly. Get them the places and the the very best, but there are other people in future that they deserve. society who also deserve the very best, and a judge made a decision on that yesterday. 12.45 pm

Ms C Kelly: At the heart of the past few days Mr Stalford: Mr Speaker, first, I welcome you has been the future of a generation of young back to your place. I declare an interest in this people unfortunate enough to be coming of age matter as I have a niece who received her A- during a pandemic, a future that, it appears, the level results last week. British Tory Government and the DUP were prepared to wantonly discard. I can understand It is important that all Members consider how it a privately educated, privileged elite such as is that we came to this pass. We are in this the British Cabinet having no regard for the position because we are in the middle of a hopes and aspirations of ordinary young global public health crisis. Little over five people, but the DUP needs to open its eyes and months ago, the Executive decided that schools start representing the people who vote for it. should close. The decision was also taken to put vast swathes of our economy into deep Peter Weir waited until a British Minister in freeze until the crisis passed. Young people London gave way on the issue. Why? Why are affected by these decisions will be paying for children in the North of Ireland being held to them, through their taxes, for a very, very long ransom by decisions taken in England? Almost time. It is therefore vital that they are in the best as soon as the results were known — first in possible position to attract and secure the best Scotland and then in other jurisdictions — it possible jobs and establish the best possible was clear that something had gone very wrong. careers for themselves going forward, because The education system is supposed to deliver the better that our young people do, the better equality of opportunity: last week, it delivered that all of society in Northern Ireland will do. postcode discrimination. Nobody could have foreseen the circumstances Let us put on record what the British that are confronting us today. COVID has Government and the DUP were prepared to impacted on almost every aspect of every preside over: more than a third of results person's life in this country, and our young downgraded by algorithm; pupils studying in people undertaking GCSE, A-level and AS-level large schools located in disadvantaged areas examinations have been hit particularly hard. It most harshly treated; pupils from our black, is also worth putting on the record in the House Asian and minority ethnic communities likely to the extremely difficult situation facing students be more disadvantaged; and pupils with in fourth form and lower sixth as they go into a disabilities faring less favourably. In the end, it new school year. They will have to overcome

9 Tuesday 18 August 2020 significant challenges brought about by a loss reared at the bottom of the Ravenhill Road. The of so much classroom learning time. It is in that best start in life that I had was in education at context that we meet today. Wellington College Belfast. I am very proud of my roots. I was sent here to represent working- People should always remember that we are class communities, and I assure her that I living in unprecedented times. Formal school would never want to preside over a situation in examinations were not stopped for the duration which such communities were treated unfairly of World War II. They were not stopped for the or disadvantaged. By the actions that he has three-day week. They did not stop for the winter undertaken, the Minister has ensured that all of discontent or for the miners' strike. That students, regardless of their background, are should give us a sense of the scale of the not placed at an unfair —. challenge that we are tasked with dealing with. Miss Woods: I thank the Member for giving In order to allow people to progress in their way. Will he agree that COVID has exacerbated educational careers, a model of awarding existing disadvantages in the system, given that qualifications that did not involve sitting formal just over half of pupils in non-grammar schools examinations was going to be necessary scored at least five GCSEs at A* to C in because of the decisions taken to combat comparison to grammar schools, where that COVID. That, I assume, is accepted by figure was nearly 95%? everyone. Had the Minister, for example, suggested reopening schools to allow for the Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. sitting of exams, I assume that there would have been widespread opposition in the House to such an idea. I am happy to give way to any Mr Stalford: I absolutely do accept that, Member who wishes to contradict me, although because people from the sort of background I urge the Chair of the Education Committee, that I came from had parents who could not pay who has been here longer than I, to cease for tutors. My parents could not pay for tutors. chuntering from a sedentary position. It is not They could not pay for supplements to their very becoming. education beyond the classroom-learning experience that I had, so I absolutely accept No model would have been without its flaws, that. That needs to be addressed because and any Member pretending that they had the every child, taking my constituency as an answer all along is engaging in a fantasy. The example, whether they are born in the Markets model that was in place had significant or the Malone Road, should be given the most drawbacks, as does this one — grade inflation ample opportunity to make the best start in life. being the most obvious. The Minister is right to I know that the Minister is committed to that. respond to the concerns expressed, and I am pleased that no student from Northern Ireland Miss Woods: Will the Member give way? will be placed at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their peers elsewhere on these Mr Stalford: I have only 20 seconds left. islands. We are all trying to feel our way through the I also welcome the Economy Minister's biggest national emergency that we have faced announcement in relation to securing additional in a generation. We should be doing so with a university places, and I urge all colleagues in view to securing the best outcomes for young the Northern Ireland Executive to get behind people, not securing headlines on radio shows. her and give her the support that she needs to secure the funding for those additional places. Dr Archibald: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. I welcome you back to your position. These are unprecedented times. Problems with one system have been identified and a new Over the past few months, we have used the system has been put in place. Concerns first words "unprecedented" and "extraordinary" an raised on a Thursday were addressed by the awful lot, and Mr Stalford has made that point Minister on the Monday. That is reasonable and by using those words in his speech several proportionate, and no one should ever doubt times. While, obviously, the pandemic and the the Minister's commitment to ensuring that crises in our health system and in our economy every young person in Northern Ireland, and society are unprecedented in modern whether at primary school, secondary school or times, we have had to try to deal with these going on to university, gets the best start in life. things and the outworking of them as best as Ms Kelly referred to people from a working- possible. However, for this particular scenario, class background. I am from a working-class in relation to the awarding of grades, there was background. I was born in Annadale Flats and a precedent from the week before in Scotland.

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Instead of being proactive and learning from the so that the position will be uniform for all mistakes that were made elsewhere and taking students in the university system. an approach that was based on the well-being of our young people, the Minister stuck with a Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. position that seems to have been much more about protecting the system. This should never Dr Archibald: I thank the Minister for clarifying have been about defending an algorithm; it that, and, hopefully, there will be a statement on should have been about the well-being of our that later today to give some clarity to young people and giving them clarity and universities and to the young people. We all confidence in their grades. know that our universities are allocated maximum students numbers each year and Instead, we have had almost a week of that, in a normal year, if they go over that additional stress and anxiety for young people, number, they are fined. So yesterday, their families and their teachers, and that will understandably, they were asking questions now be further compounded by additional about what this would mean for them this year. delays and uncertainty around university Would they be able to take all the students who admissions. Instead of taking a decision a week obtained their conditional offer, and would they ago when it was clear from the Scottish be funded for this? What about the impacts on example that we would face the same issues, courses that have quotas, such as medicine the Minister dragged his feet and seems to and nursing? What will the impact be on the have waited on the English Minister adopting a intake for next year if those courses are filled up position before doing similar. Of course, it is not this year? Did the Education Minister consult the first time in this crisis that a Minister has Executive colleagues on all that, in particular slavishly followed the lead of London rather the Economy Minister, about what this decision than doing the right thing for citizens here. would mean and how they would deal with it and, more importantly, communicate it? What The reality now unfolding is that there may be about the Health Minister? Did he talk to him several hundred more students who, on the about courses such as medicine, dentistry and basis of this amended approach, obtained their nursing? What about teacher-training places? conditional offers from universities. While that Have all those things being considered in taking will definitely be a positive thing for those young this decision? people, our universities and colleges are unclear about what the implications will be for them. Universities normally have almost a week Mr Newton: I thank the Member for giving way. to prepare their admissions and are now in a She rightly referred to the Minister for the position where they do not have the students' Economy and the Minister of Health having grades and are, of course, receiving calls from important roles to play as we move forward. students and their parents enquiring about Would it be right to expect a collegiate places. I hope that the new amended grades approach from the Executive, from a Sinn Féin will be speedily communicated to the perspective at least, in addressing these universities and the young people, and I hope issues? that the Minister can perhaps clarify the timeline around that. Dr Archibald: I am coming to that.

Mr Weir: I thank the Member for giving way. A For every decision, obviously, there are number of schools are already in a position consequences, but instead of planning and where they can indicate to young people. having the answers to these questions, we are Indeed, a number of schools have made now faced with further delay and distress. I very representations and made themselves available much welcome the fact that the Finance to make that known to young people. Regarding Minister has this morning said that he will work universities, this morning, UCAS convened all with Executive colleagues to identify the the awarding bodies and, indeed, the regulators additional resources that may be necessary to to ensure that all information goes to it. I do not deal with the outworkings of this decision. believe that that process had concluded by the time that today's Assembly meeting had started. Ms McLaughlin: Mr Speaker, you are very Legally, all information has to go to UCAS. I welcome back to the House. understand that the intention was to ensure that that happened within the next couple of days so I support the amendment. I concur with the that everybody would be dealt with, but CCEA sentiments, passion and dogged determination and others have to directly give that to UCAS, expressed by my colleague Daniel McCrossan which will then forward that on to all universities and, indeed, with the comments of other Members across the House.

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bound to honour to students with the required There is no doubt that we have done our young minimum grades. This week, however, they are people a great disservice. We must learn from also bound to honour previous conditional our mistakes. If you see a train coming down offers to students who, with revised grades, the track, it is best to get out of the way. The now meet those conditions. This mess is not of First Minister of Scotland set the precedent, but the universities' making, yet it potentially we did not follow. creates a very serious financial situation for them. It is not a one-year problem. The I wish to concentrate my comments on universities will be breaching the MaSN cap this maximum student numbers. Northern Ireland year and perhaps for the next three or four has a unique educational disadvantage across years for some courses because of the length the four UK nations: the MaSN cap. This cap on of undergraduate programmes. student numbers holds back our economy by depriving it of the skills that we need. It has 1.00 pm been a noose around the neck of our economy for years. This situation not only damages our Do we really expect the universities to pick up productivity and decision-making but adds the financial cost of the A- level fiasco? momentum to the Northern Ireland diaspora, Yesterday, the British media reported that the breaking up families as children leave home to Education Secretary for England, Gavin study in Great Britain, typically never to return. Williamson, had promised that UK universities As a mother, I have seen my daughters leave would be released from the student number cap Northern Ireland to study, and, indeed, they are to allow students with sufficient A-level grades both away at the moment. That is fine. to be accepted. That is, no doubt, a However, when students want to stay at home misreporting, because the British media does and are not able to do so, we are forcing them not understand the difference between the UK away because we do not have enough and Great Britain, but it allows us to consider an university places. That splits up families, and it important point. This mess is not entirely of the is heartbreaking. A few days ago, an OECD making of Peter Weir, the Department of report concluded that it is not providing the next Education and CCEA; it is also the mess of the generation of graduate talent that our economy British Government. The answer is clear. We needs for the future. Also, we are not doing must lift the MaSN cap for Northern Ireland and enough for those students who do not go to allow students with sufficient grades to study at university; they need high-quality universities in Northern Ireland. We must not apprenticeships and a future in well-paid, expect the two universities here to pick up the emotionally rewarding work. bill for that and, given the role of the UK Government, we expect the Education, Today, however, is about the ongoing failure Economy and Finance Ministers here to very around the MaSN cap, which has become a robustly make the case to the UK Government crisis. that they should pick up the bill for that.

Mr Lyttle: I thank the Member for giving way I have one final point. As a Foyle MLA, I urge briefly. I absolutely agree that maximum student Ulster University to allocate an additional MaSN numbers need to be adjusted in these to the Magee campus. It remains a scandal that circumstances. Does the Member acknowledge Northern Ireland's second city does not have a that abolishing the MaSN cap would have full-sized university campus. The SDLP will not significant funding implications and that any rest until that is achieved. That is a pledge that assistance that is provided to third-level we make in memory of John Hume. education must be based on additional resources and not increased student fees? The Minister for the Economy and the Executive have an opportunity today, not just to Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. deal with the latest result of what COVID has done to our society but to reset the future and Ms McLaughlin: I agree that we need to provide a better future for our children's restructure our education and skills provision in generation. Let us not allow that prize to slip Northern Ireland because the current system is from our grasp. inadequate. Mrs Barton: Mr Speaker, I also welcome you The farce around A-level grades has forced our back. Having listened to the debate in the two universities to breach the MaSN cap Chamber this afternoon, I feel that it is imposed by the Department for the Economy. paramount that we move forward to try to Last week, they offered places that they are mitigate any fallout that there has been from the

12 Tuesday 18 August 2020 issuing last Thursday of the so-called results Mr Newton: I thank the Member for giving way. using an unseen algorithm, an unseen I agree with you about the need for the Health algorithm that obviously had not been trialled Minister to provide support where it is required. previously. Will you also agree that, as we move forward and young people take up places in Receiving results of any kind is particularly universities, the Minister for the Economy, stressful, but that is even more the case when Diane Dodds, will also need support and that our future careers depend on those results. there should be a collegiate approach from the This year, our young people, along with their Executive to address the issues? parents and teachers, have had a particularly stressful time since the abrupt ending of the Mrs Barton: Yes, indeed. I agree that there school year and the worries that lockdown must be a collegiate approach, and I will deal imposed on their education. They have now with that in a few moments. With the larger had to deal with another stressful situation. Last numbers now having the opportunity to take up Thursday brought about nothing but a university place, funding must immediately be disappointment for our young people, their sourced by the Minister for the Economy and be parents and their hard-working teachers, put in place to resource the universities for not particularly as the day advanced and they only next year but the next three to four years, learned that the results that they were awarded which is the average length of a university had nothing to do with the work that the course that many of those extra students will be teachers had done in assessing their grades. allocated to. No consideration was given to the long and tedious task that teachers had in putting I am aware of some universities that have together evidence to support their predicted particularly popular courses, such as medicine, grades for each pupil. that have already raised concerns about the lack of capacity, staffing, accommodation and Mr McCrossan: I thank the Member for giving facilities if numbers are increased, especially way. Does she agree with me that, given what when they are also trying to ensure that staff has happened, it is vital that the Minister and and students are kept safe as they reopen and CCEA produce for the public the algorithm that need to continue to fight the COVID-19 was used that overrode the judgement of pandemic. teachers? In the interests of transparency, it is vital that that is the case. Does the Member While most of the debate today has been agree? around A-level results, and rightly so, we must not forget about those still waiting to receive Mrs Barton: Yes, I do. I would have liked to their BTEC grades. To date, there has been no see the algorithm. I think that we need to see it clarity about how those students will be to —. affected. With universities filling up, there is growing anxiety among those students. I appeal Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. to you, Minister, to try and resolve this situation Sorry about that. post-haste.

Mrs Barton: Now, a U-turn has taken place Mr Weir: I thank the Member for giving way. In and teacher-predicted grades have been relation to BTEC grades, I understand that part accepted as an option for the final grade. There of the problem there has been with awarding must be a concerted effort to ensure that our A- bodies, such Pearson and Cambridge. The level students are not disadvantaged further, in regulations of boards that are outside Northern any way. First, there must be an assurance that Ireland lie with the English regulators, similar to help will be available through our health service A levels that are awarded by bodies outside and our mental health agencies to support Northern Ireland. Obviously, we will make those who have really suffered as a result of the representations, but BTEC lies outside any fiasco and who may continue to suffer. actual direct control that I or the Economy Secondly, those frustrated young people must Minister have. So, at best, we can act like be given the opportunity to accept their places others to try and push the issue, but we do not on their original first choice of course, whether have control over it. those are in further education colleges or universities, and be permitted to start Mrs Barton: Minister, thank you for that immediately. Those students must not be asked clarification. I urge you and the Minister for the to defer until next year. This situation is not of Economy to get going post-haste and make their making. sure that there is no more damage done to our young people.

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Minister or the Minister before that. Since the Mr O'Dowd: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann power-sharing institutions were established, we Comhairle, agus fáilte ar ais. Welcome back, Mr have been starting to see an education system Speaker, and I also welcome back other develop here, and the challenges and support Members who have been isolating over the last that the local Executive can put in place are number of months. moving us forward — incrementally and slowly at times, but we are moving forward. I am not going to rehearse all the events of the last week. Nor am I here to bash the Minister Mr Newton: Will the Member give way? because I have been there, done that, worn the t-shirt and have a full head of grey hair as a Mr O'Dowd: Very quickly. result of it. I know the burden that the Minister carries, I know the burden that other Ministers Mr Newton: I want to support your comments. carry, and I do not envy any of their roles at this Is it not always the case that we talk about the time because they are carrying additional charges for and the cost of education rather burdens as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. than investment in education and the By and large, our Executive have responded outworkings of that investment in education? well to that pandemic, so I am not here to criticise but I am here to challenge. It is the role of the Assembly and Committees to hold our Mr O'Dowd: OK. Thank you for your Ministers and the Executive to account. comments.

I want to start with one of the last points that the I want to touch on how the Minister and CCEA Minister made in relation to the English and put in place a mechanism, which, I accept, Welsh awarding bodies, and this frustrated me although quotes have been thrown back and when I was Minister as well. I am of the view forth, most people welcomed because it was that any examination board plying their wares seen as a solution to there being no exams. here should be held to account by the Minister However, once that solution was seen to have here and by the accreditation bodies here. It is failed, you had to move to an alternative, and ridiculous that we have organisations selling that is what concerns me about the response of exams to our schools, but yet there is little and, the Minister and CCEA. This matter could have in some cases, no accountability over them. been resolved on Friday. The Education This crisis has exposed that as a failing in the Committee worked collectively on Friday — I examinations system. I am of the view that we accept that there was also some politicking should have one examinations body that is outside the Committee — to bring forward a accountable to our Minister, our Education solution. That could have been adopted. The Committee and our Assembly. That is matter could have been resolved on Saturday, something that we should look at moving or on Sunday, when my party was engaging forward. with officials from the Minister's party. There could have been an intensification of that engagement. Mr Beggs: Will the Member give way? My concern is this: the Minister, or people close Mr O'Dowd: Yes. to the Minister, did not see that there was a problem until late on Sunday night. Then, on Mr Beggs: Will the Member accept that there is Monday morning, they acted in relation to a wide choice of subject areas, and if we are GCSEs. At that stage, they should have going to provide examinations for all the realised that only one solution was left to them, possible subject areas, it would be inordinately which was to move in relation to A levels as expensive to manage and unpractical? well. The Minister has said that he did not want to move — I am not directly quoting him — Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. because he did not want to disadvantage our students in comparison with students in Mr O'Dowd: Scotland seems to do very well at England and Wales. However, by failing to it. That brings me on to a comment from Mr move at that stage, did he not disadvantage our Newton. We do not have a world-class students because he did not give them an education system. We have world-class advantage? Had the Minister stepped forward educators. I think that our pupils have the and led, as our Education Minister and the potential to be world class, given half a chance Education Minister for our schools and for our in the classroom and in the home, but we do pupils, he could have given our pupils an not have a world-class education system. That advantage, whereas many of our students are is not the fault of this Minister, the previous now fighting for places in Scottish, Welsh and

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English universities, and, indeed, in universities Secondary Students' Union of Northern Ireland, across the border, which are being filled by the various students' unions across the area Scottish students, by Welsh students and, now, and the teachers' unions because they have by English students as well. The Minister, by shown us that, with a singular voice, they had not giving our students an advantage, was strength. I am glad, as Daniel McCrossan said, actually disadvantaging them. that those concerns were heard and finally taken on board by the Minister, but the job is I want to move on to what has to happen next. not done yet. Our Minister's copybook is blotted. His leadership has been questioned. In the days 1.15 pm and weeks ahead, we need to see decisive leadership because our schools now face the Today, I will not talk about the good work of the bigger challenge of reopening. As a parent and Education Committee or any of the Members as an elected representative, I want to ensure here; I will talk as a parent. The job is not done that we have a Minister who is leading from the yet. There are many, many questions on which front, a Minister who is giving confidence to me parents and students need to have clarification. as a parent and as an elected representative, One of the ways out of the debacle would be to and to our school leaders and pupils, that those answer those questions. For example, saying schools are reopening safely and that all that CCEA will get the grades out soon is not measures that can be taken are being taken to good enough. We need to know the date on ensure that they open full time and safely over which they will be received. We need to know the next weeks and months, because that is when UCAS will receive those grades so that where parents' minds are at now. Yes, we can finally find out what will happen to those university is important, but, Minister, you have young people who want to move forward into an opportunity to step forward and give decisive higher education. What communication has leadership on the reopening of schools. That is there been from Northern Ireland to UCAS to what is needed from you and your Department identify those students who will still lose out on now. a place because of the late changes to grades and perhaps some places have been filled?. Ms Armstrong: Mr Speaker, it is good to see you back in your Chair. I know, from the Today's amendment calls on the whole number of meetings that we have had through Executive, but we need to hear from the the Business Office, that you have been Minister for the Economy on what is happening working quite hard throughout this time. with the money for university places. We cannot take away the cap on university places. We are I would like to take the opportunity, very quickly, potentially looking at an additional 1,000 to take a moment to say this to the SDLP: you students for Queen's University and probably lost a giant; we all lost a giant, and I have been the same number for Ulster University. That thinking of you during those sad times, then and could equate to an additional £10 million per now. year for each year going forward for three or four years. On 12 August, which was the day before the A- level results came out, it was United Nations Dr Aiken: I thank the Member for giving way. International Youth Day. The United Nations Those of us who are Committee Chairs will said that the day was: have seen a letter from the Minister of Finance that suggests that in the region of £35 million "an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream may be available in-year. So, maybe, if we are young peoples’ voices, actions and looking for a collegiate, cross-Executive initiatives, as well as their meaningful, approach to deal with the problem of a cap on universal and equitable engagement." university places, all the political parties here today could commit to using that money. At this stage, I pay tribute to our young people across Northern Ireland. It has been an Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. extremely stressful time for them and their parents, and I declare an interest as the Ms Armstrong: Thank you, Mr Aiken. That is mummy of an AS student who received grades absolutely the collegiate approach that we need last week. to pull Northern Ireland out of this. In-year funding of £35 million solves one year. Can we I pay tribute to those young people. They were have that across all the years so that children dignified in their response to what they were such as my daughter and her cohort, who have going through. I pay particular attention to the completed AS levels, are not impacted next

15 Tuesday 18 August 2020 year when they might find that there are not you very much, Mr Speaker. I am glad to see enough places available? We know that you back in the Chair. I am delighted. Minister Dodds has been under extraordinary pressure because of the issues that we have All of us have been inundated with the queries, with COVID, but she cannot delay on this. questions, problems, issues and raw emotion of Unlike the excluded in Northern Ireland, we students and families generated by, as people cannot see any delays on this. are calling it, the A-level fiasco.

I turn, then, to the Minister for Communities. I have to compliment the Minister for realising Another issue has come forward from parents: that it was definitely going in the wrong are there enough student housing places direction, because I was contacted by schools available at our universities for those students? facing an absolute avalanche of appeals. Will landlords see this as an opportunity to raise Frankly, all you would need to have thrown into already exorbitant rent even further? the middle of that — the Minister will be well acquainted with this from his legal background We need to think about the wider implications — would be a judicial review or two. That would and what will happen going forward. If we are have left us, maybe at Christmas time, still going to increase the number of university sitting and nothing resolved. places, there are more things that we need to consider. What about student loans? Will the Minister, thank you for realising the situation Student Loans Company be able to cope with that we were in and making the decision that the additional requests that will come through? you made. It was not an easy decision for you, I have to say, Minister. I watched your Mental health services are an issue. We have performance at the Committee last week, but young people who have just completed their you did what you needed to do when you were A2, who are not going back to school and who faced with the reality of that situation. will not have that teacher support. Will the Minister of Education look to Youth Services to Yesterday, I had a young mother in with me, provide mental health support to young people who was very emotional. That was at about to ensure that what they have gone through, 2.00 pm and I said to her to wait until about and the awful COVID situation that we are all 4.00 pm because an announcement was to be going through, are considered? made in GB, more specifically in England, that may have had consequences for us. The BTEC results were mentioned by Rosemary Barton. Those students need their We are at this point now, however it has results. We are leaving those students behind, created a lot of distress among young people. and I encourage the Minister of Education and We have to emphasise the point that university the Minister for the Economy to get in touch for young people is not the be-all and end-all. with Pearson and the other bodies to find out Many young people will go on to have very what is happening. successful careers. I know many who have never gone near university but who have gone I will not discuss the school restart programme on, adapted and moved to very successful non- because I know that the Education Committee academic careers. Many of them are in my will deal with that later today. The restart is constituency in the field of manufacturing and another huge job that must be done. they are being absolutely creative with the skills they have been gifted. In closing, however, I would like to say that, while all this is going on, special educational However, the message that I am still receiving needs students are still being ignored and their is that this could have been done much, much supported employment programme might be better. The school principals with whom I have closed down. Those young people have just left been tic-tacking about this have been trying to school, too, and I wish that the House and the manage this emotional and professional roller public were as vexed about their future as we coaster. Some of the schools are deeply are about A-level students. Some of our resentful. One principal wrote to me: students need assistance, some of our students need to know what their future is, and we "This year CCEA requested centre- cannot leave them behind. assessed grades and detailed guidance be provided, and how this was to be carried Mr McGlone: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann out. Staff took a minimum of two weeks to Comhairle. Agus mo bhuíochas leat, agus is complete this exercise. There were several deas tú a athfheiceáil ar ais sa chathaoir. Thank Zoom meetings and moderation meetings to reach the decisions. Then the provisional

16 Tuesday 18 August 2020

grades were sent to principals. Further There is, of course, as I referred to, the impact deliberation took place before the grades on the mental well-being of already stressed were finalised and the data entered into the pupils and their parents. new system set up by CCEA. Each principal had to sign off on every subject. I keep Dr Aiken: Will the Member give way? asking myself in what other profession would the decision taken by the person who Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr McGlone): Just very is most qualified to make it be totally briefly, yes. disregarded?"

That was from one principal. Another principal Dr Aiken: Just for clarity. Was it PwC that was referred to the little consideration that was given paid £100,000? to teacher-predicted grades — I will not go over that again — no consideration being given to Mr McGlone: That is my understanding; I read pupil performance and improvement, especially that in the media somewhere. However, I with pupils taking resits, and there always being suggest that those matters are best dealt with a significant percentage difference between AS through an inquiry at the Committee, or possibly and A2s in that specific school. That factor does the Public Accounts Committee; it may well be not seem to have been considered. best referenced there.

Mr Weir: Will the Member give way? We are in the position now — I am sure that this has been repeated, so give me a wee bit of forbearance — where CCEA must get those Mr McGlone: Yes, surely, Minister. results out as soon as is humanly possible.

Mr Weir: On a point of accuracy, in relation to Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up. resits, where they had been planned that is part of the formula which was taken into account for A levels where there was a resit of an AS. That Mr McGlone: There are special educational is not simply those that took place as a resit, needs to be addressed. There is a requirement but for those that were planned, because there for schools to reopen, but there is also a need is a recognition that where there are resits, for additional university places to accommodate though it differs from subject to subject, those who have been left out so far. generally speaking there will be some rise in the results as a result of a resit within each Mr Beggs: I, too, welcome you back, Mr subject. That was part of the formula that was Speaker, to chairing the proceedings in the applied to A levels. Assembly, and I welcome Deputy Speaker Patsy McGlone back to the Chamber. I, in turn, Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. will be freer to speak from this side of the Chamber where I was, perhaps, curtailed in the past. Mr McGlone: I thank the Minister for that. I, too, support the motion as amended. The Another point raised by the same principal was: original motion reflected the community's concerns about the awards that were originally "English examination boards did not change made by CCEA in a process that was approved any of our grades, and CCEA changed 65% by the Department and the Minister. It was, of the grades. Why? The other aspect of this clearly, a flawed process. that we are moving into is does CCEA hold data on pupils in receipt of free school Awaiting an A-level result is a stressful time at meals and pupil outcomes, so that an the best of times, but even more so when you impact assessment can be carried out as to have not sat an exam and there is the what demographic factors of candidates uncertainty of an algorithm that governs the have been most impacted by the use of a final results. There was a huge responsibility to flawed system, that is gender, free school ensure that due diligence was carried out, but it meals and ethnic groups." appears that that was not the case. It was governed more by restricting increases to 2%. The other point raised was whether there is any As a result, many students were downgraded differential in the algorithm or model devised by who, clearly, should not have been. That has PwC for £100,000, between grammar and non- been incredibly stressful for the students and selective schools. their families. Many thought that their future careers were lost. I am pleased that there was

17 Tuesday 18 August 2020 a dramatic U-turn yesterday and that sense was seen. 1.30 pm

Why do I say that there were flaws? I will give Turning to the amendment, it is clear that we examples of some of the students who have now need to move on. I am pleased that the been reported to me. One history student got a Minister did his U-turn, but the job is not C at AS level. In their mock A level, they got a finished yet. Students are now being given their B. They were predicted a B, but they were new awards, and I am pleased, but all students awarded an E. They had been improving, but must get those final predicted awards from their the result was significantly worse. Another teachers as soon as possible. When will that student was predicted a B and a C in double- be? It is not over then. The problem then moves award science, but they got a D and an E. on to our higher education facilities. Who are Perhaps the most surprising one that I have they going to accept? Sadly, some conditional come across is a student who studied offers have been withdrawn. What will happen government and politics. All along, they to those students? There needs to be clarity. reached A-grade attainment levels; they got an Will the universities be able to accept and fulfil A in their mock, and their teacher predicted an those original awards? It will be totally unfair if A. They were awarded a C. Anyone who looked students are awarded the grades that they think at the individual assessments would have will get them into university for their desired questioned what was going on. It was not right. course but do not then get in. It is essential that the Department of Education, the Department Another student who got an A at their GCSE for the Economy, the Executive and our examination and was being predicted a B was universities work closely together to give awarded a D. There is clear evidence that there clarification, as quickly as possible, so that each were obvious flaws that should have been of these students can learn and get to the spotted. There was, potentially, an appeals course that they wish to, as soon as possible, mechanism, but why did all those students have and move on in their careers. to go through that trauma when there were obvious flaws in the system? There was a fault We must learn from this and ensure that it does at the core of what was happening. not happen again. I hope that the Minister is already putting processes in place to ensure Ms Mullan: I thank the Member for giving way. that students will have examinations next year The Member across the Chamber stated that and that we will not be relying on such a flawed the Minister acted on Thursday, once he was system that has caused so much controversy. I aware of the issue. In fact, CCEA contacted would have thought that, in hindsight — principals on Wednesday; it knew about the hindsight is a wonderful thing — when schools flaws. Scotland should have been a red alert. were empty during the pandemic, it would have Does the Member agree that the Minister been possible to have had examinations and, waited too long to rectify the situation? undoubtedly, that would have been better than a prediction. Mr Speaker: The Member has an extra minute. I welcome the fact that the position has changed and I ask the Minister, the Executive Mr Beggs: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I agree and the universities to move forward, as quickly entirely; it should have been apparent even as possible, to finalise what our students are before the community were up in arms about going to be doing. the results that were happening, which caused undue stress to students and their parents. It appears that the algorithm was governing it. I Mr O'Toole: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Like have a tip for the Education Committee: use the everyone else, I welcome you back to your 1998 Act to get the algorithm. You are entitled place. It is good to see you back. to it. Like other Members, from my party and across It is important that there is transparency about the House, I support the motion and the what went on. It appears that some students amendment. Obviously, we proposed and have were assessed on previous school groups that worked with other parties to develop them so I may not have reached the same level of will support them. attainment. It is also a fact that they were ranked in their group, irrespective of where the I congratulate the Minister on making this group level was. They were being marked decision. I understand that, in politics, it can down; the mark did not reflect their personal sometimes be difficult to change your position situation and track record. under extreme pressure, so I welcome that he had the maturity to do that. It worries me that it

18 Tuesday 18 August 2020 took the Minister so long to do that and that his us. It is an extraordinary imposition on life and decision came only after the increasingly has created extraordinary disruption, and they chaotic Secretary of State for Education in have felt that more than any. That is why it was, England, Gavin Williamson, made a similar in a sense, even worse to create the random decision. As others have said, it simply cannot injustice of an algorithm rather than judging be the case that public policy outcomes for our them on work that they had done and the young people, or anyone else in Northern judgement of their teachers. Ireland, are dictated by what the Conservative I am glad that various parties in the Assembly Government in London do first. came together, inspired by and as demanded by young people and their families. As I said, I will try to be brief in my remarks. The Minister this is not a perfect solution, in part because has said over the last few days, and several there are no perfect solutions. There is no good DUP MLAs have repeated today, that one of outcome in these circumstances. That said, lots the primary motivations for this decision was to of young people and their families will be ensure similar treatment to students in other relieved and will have been relieved over the parts of the UK. Yes, it is important to ensure last 12 or 24 hours to be in a better position. that our young people are not treated worse However, this throws up significant short-term than those against whom they are competing challenges that I know that the Minister will be for university places. I speak as someone who working on. Those have been covered by other went to university in Scotland. I repeat, as Members and include ensuring that we get the others have, that if the Minister thinks that the updated grades — the predicted grades — to only good reason for performing this U-turn is to students as quickly as possible and that the give us consistency with England, Scotland and transition process to university works as quickly Wales, with the greatest of respect — I mean as possible. There are lots of other challenges respect, given the enormous pressure he has that the Education Committee and the Economy been under for the past few days — he has not Committee will have to examine. understood the intensity of feeling on the issue. This was not just about being treated the same This also throws up stark, long-term lessons as English, Welsh and Scottish students; it was about our education system and how it fails our about addressing a very profound sense of young people. Robin Newton, the former injustice felt by individual students at being Speaker, said earlier that we have one of the downgraded, not based on work that they had best education systems in the world. To put it done, but on an algorism that they had never bluntly, that is not true. Some of the inequalities seen. Indeed, most of us had never seen. thrown up by this process have underlined inequalities that existed in the past. The I understand, and it is worth acknowledging Minister has commissioned a group to look at again, that there was never going to be an ideal educational inequalities, and I welcome that. or easy outcome when schools were closed However, if this process is to do anything, let us and exams cancelled, but the truth is that make it look hard at what we want to get out of absolute statistical consistency and a focus on our education system, from 11 through to stopping any grade inflation — as it is called — university, including the cap on student was the wrong approach in such an anomalous numbers — and unique year. Christopher Stalford, who has now left the Chamber, was right in saying that Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up. we have asked a huge amount from our young people during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly Mr O'Toole: — because that leads to those who were going through exams. That is unfortunate outcomes and dampens our why it was all the more important that we did productivity. our absolute best for them through the examination process. In welcoming today's motion, I say that we have short and long-term challenges to focus on. I acknowledge that the Minister will have made his decision based on what he believed to be Dr Aiken: I join my party members in best for the system and the students. However, welcoming you back. I also say to the SDLP given that they faced the extraordinary injustice that John Hume was, indeed, a colossus on the of being denied schooling — the first generation Northern Ireland and global political stage. His since the introduction of universal second-level advice and guidance will be very much missed education to be denied schooling en masse — by our party as well. it was all the more important that we did the absolute best for them. The truth was that a Many Members have talked today about the sense of random injustice was created by the implications of what has happened with the A- COVID-19 crisis, which has limited life for all of

19 Tuesday 18 August 2020 level debacle and fiasco. I do not wish to join in that will be overturned or potentially overturned an attack on and criticism of the Education by some form of judicial process. This has been Minister. It is vital that we get to the bottom of a fundamental failure. I know that we do not what happened. The first thing, which our seem to hold anybody accountable or learned friend from South Belfast talked about, responsible for anything in Northern Ireland, is the importance of the need to recognise that but, on this occasion, somebody must be held we are in the midst of a COVID pandemic. We accountable and responsible for what has are not in normal times. However, despite the happened to our students, to our parents and to fact that we are not in normal times, we have our teachers. known all along that the GCSE, AS and A-level results were going to come out. We have In my last minute, I would like to talk about known for many months that the situation was teachers. Teachers were asked, because of going to occur. Indeed, as we have heard, we COVID and all the difficulties that there were, to probably spent a considerable amount of use their best professional judgement. They money with PwC in creating an algorithm to were asked to look at what grades their look at these problems. This did not happen students were likely to get in their AS levels and over just one or two days. This happened over A levels. They were told that they had to be a considerable time. especially rigorous and to look at everything in significant detail. They had to make sure that We are in a situation here in which the everything that they did in their process was Assembly is being asked to look at a system rigorous. They were also asked to look at a that, until the changes happened on Monday, merit order of where pupils sat in their various meant that our young people would have been subjects. When that went to the algorithm to be significantly disadvantaged, not just for now or run through the computer, the universities used for the coming year but for the rest of their life. I what the teachers said, based on their best am at the tender age at which I am still asked, if professional judgement, to get the I put my name in for a board or a board qualifications, but CCEA used the merit ranking position, what my A-level and GCSE results system. We do not know any more details were. I did not do AS levels. That is an example about that because, a bit like the emails about of the implications of the problems that we have PPE that have mysteriously never arrived, it had in Northern Ireland. There are substantial seems to be some form of secret. questions of leadership here that must be answered. Our party will join in the process of Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up. asking to make sure that there is a full and thorough investigation of this. Dr Aiken: Thank you very much indeed. We will support the motion. Some fundamental questions need to be asked, and I want the Minister to answer them. We know that our universities ran a model in July to Miss Woods: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I look at the likely number of students that they welcome you back. I share in offering my would have. It used A levels, AS grades and condolences to the wider SDLP family. teachers' predictions. It was fundamentally different from the model that CCEA was using. All this could have been avoided today. Why were the alarm bells not ringing at that Yesterday's decision is a welcome result for the stage, Minister? Why were your special voices of teachers, parents, pupils and advisers and members of your Department not students, and credit to them for demanding an saying that there was something fundamentally equitable resolution. Recent events have flawed and wrong? brought incredible distress. There will not be one MLA here who has not been contacted by This did not come out of the blue, given what someone asking for help. Every summer, we happened in Scotland, where the Education deal with students who are not treated fairly by Minister there, even though they had been the system, so this is not a new issue. We have given advice two weeks beforehand that it the worst levels of students leaving education would be a substantial problem, realised that with no qualifications. that was the case and did a U-turn. The fact that we had to wait so long for a U-turn to occur The grades, the algorithms and the workings has meant that there are students right now out that have been discussed for the last couple who do not even know whether they will go to of days and here today are actually children university this year. Some had already received and young people's lives. Let us take a moment a conditional offer but cannot go now. Students and think about the educational journey that who had received a conditional offer and were they could have been on. Hopefully, our child about to go to university do not know whether gets a nursery place, with good-quality, funded

20 Tuesday 18 August 2020 childcare. However, without proper early years their academic performance in part on the basis provision or a childcare strategy, maybe our of other people, some of whom they have never young person's start in life is not as good as it met, and not on the individual's work. Some needs to be. Then, our child attends school, at defended a system that most of us did not age 4, separately; the earliest in Europe. Some understand, let alone got sight of, rather than will be able to get into their first preference defending our children and young people. We primary school; others will not. Maybe our talk much about aces, supporting our young young person has recognised special people and educational underachievement, but educational needs, or maybe they will spend the current approach is embedding division and years trying to get statemented. They will disadvantage further, ensuring that the divide receive a uniform and a free school meals continues. Our job as public servants is to serve payment. Maybe the school is underfunded and the next generation, not to destroy it, and I under-resourced. remind our young people that exam results do not make you as a person. They are not the Then on to big school. Maybe our young person whole picture, and they will not wholly did not do the transfer test or did not do well determine everything that you do in your life. enough in it to get into the school that their There are certainly no exam qualifications friends go to. Maybe they get a place in their needed to be in this Chamber. third or fourth preference school or whatever place they can get because all the others were Last year, 158 young people left school with no oversubscribed. Maybe they face other barriers. GCSEs, and 131 left with no formal qualification Maybe they do not feel like they fit in and are of any kind. How many will there be this year? subject to bullying, like nearly half of students in How many will there be next year? Those who Northern Ireland. Maybe they have freckles, or are entitled to free school meal payments are maybe, like me, they are not as tall as their twice as likely to be recorded as unemployed peers. Maybe they are LGBTQ. Maybe they after they leave school. If the Minister's prime have a disability. Maybe they do not have concern remains that young people in Northern English as their first language. Maybe the Ireland are not disadvantaged, why were we young person is a carer, too, has additional at- dragged through this mess, and what are we home responsibilities or is in care themselves. going to do? What are the Executive's plans to Maybe they are one of the 25% of children who address the inequalities that are evident in the are growing up in poverty in Northern Ireland, figures for our school-leavers? Will there be a from one of 103,000 families struggling to make review of what happened this year? Will an ends meet, impacted by austerity and by the impact assessment be published? Will there be horrific so-called reform of social security. an inquiry? What about next year? What about Maybe the young person does not get a the AS levels? What about university places nutritious meal at the end of the day. Maybe and clearing? they are one of the 15,000 children who were fed using an emergency food package last year This is not just about grades; it is about a totally alone. Maybe they have additional needs. unfair system and the need for the long-term Maybe there is abuse in the home. Maybe there transformation from assessment and is drug or alcohol addiction. Perhaps our young qualifications that must happen and an person is one of the 35,000 who went to the Executive who actually do something practical Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services about it. for mental health support in 2018. Perhaps they are one of the one in 10 in the classroom who Mr Allister: It has been interesting for me to has a diagnosable mental health illness. observe the internecine blame game between the Executive parties. However, make no Despite all the barriers that our young person mistake about it: this is a shambles made in could have faced, they managed to get to the Stormont. It is not the first, and, I fear, it will not examination stage this year, working hard to be the last. I welcome the fact that the Minister deal with COVID, lockdown and adapting to the eventually came to the point of U-turn. I remain new normal — that is if they have the critical, however, of the blindness and deafness technology in place to do so or the support of the Department and the Minister to the networks at home. problem for so long.

1.45 pm What everyone else could see on Thursday the Minister denied. What everyone else could see On top of everything else that we as a society on Friday the Minister denied. Eventually, on demand from our children and young people Monday morning, he came to the realisation and regardless of COVID, an unjust system is that he was on untenable ground, which was imposed that standardises them and bases also, of course, shrinking ground, and that he

21 Tuesday 18 August 2020 had to make the U-turn on GCSEs. Even in Mr Speaker: The Member will have an extra making that U-turn, he compounded the insult minute. to teachers in our community. He accepted that teacher grades for GCSE were the appropriate Mr Allister: Thank you. I trust that the benchmark and decider but persisted in saying, Education Committee will take up the cudgels "Not so" about the same teachers' grades when on the issue and conduct an investigation of it came to A levels. Then, belatedly, on how we got here, whether CCEA is fit for Monday, when the ground was removed totally purpose and what lessons are to be learned. It from below him, he came to accept that as well. is not a matter that can be let rest. The Minister It was that deafness and blindness to the was effusive in his support for CCEA. Did the problem that was the greatest weakness that Minister have complete sight of the algorithm the Minister showed in all of this. I commend that has failed — if he did, it compounds his the very many pupils, parents and teachers who folly — or did he leave it to CCEA and, in campaigned to great effect and eventually leaving it to CCEA, was he let down? Those are secured what was rightfully theirs from the questions that we need answers to. There is beginning. I commend them for that and for the blame in various quarters, and I certainly do not vigour and determination that they showed. exempt CCEA. It is not the first time that CCEA has messed up on exams. It was on a far lesser Now, of course, we are at the halfway point of scale in the past, but this is not the first time. A the crisis. We are at the point where university long, hard, vigorous look needs to be taken at places that had been dangled before students CCEA to see exactly where things went wrong. were, because of the perverse CCEA results, snapped away from them. The question now is Fundamentally, in all of this, we should think whether they can be returned to them. Of about the students and the pupils and the course, it is vital that those who have now got unnecessary distress that they were put the rightful grades that they were first denied through last weekend. It should have been also get the university places that, to this point, rectified before Thursday. It should, at least, they have been denied. That will take extra have been rectified on Thursday. Instead, funding. Yes, Sinn Féin, which ridicules students were hung out to worry — following the GB examples, will, of course, be the first party with its hand out for the funding to Mr Speaker: The Member's time is up. enable that to happen, because I suspect that it will be on the back of Barnett consequentials that extra funding will be provided. That will not Mr Allister: — and their parents left to despair be for just this year — these are three- and over what all their efforts had been for. That four-year courses — but for future years. That was wrong. must be done if some degree of equity and fairness for our students is to be salvaged from Mr Carroll: Mr Speaker, I welcome you back this. and wish you good health in the period ahead.

It is not just a matter of leaving it there. How did I thank the Members for bringing the motion to we get here? Is CCEA fit for purpose? That the House. Many have acknowledged the question needs to be asked, because it was not recent U-turn on A level and GCSE results as a just the Minister who defended CCEA: the chief good decision. We in People Before Profit executive of CCEA could not have been more recognise it for what it is: a forced decision. Of bullish in his defence of this indefensible course, a "Well done" is in order for forcing the system. U-turn but not for the Minister. I say, "Well done" to the pupils who gathered in protest, not Mr McCrossan: Will the Member give way? just here but across the water. I say, "Well done" to the parents and teachers who used every platform available to them to rebuke the Mr Allister: Yes. disastrous situation that we saw last week and to stand up for young people and their futures Mr McCrossan: Does the Member agree that and to organisations such as the National Union there are serious questions to be raised about of Students - Union of Students in Ireland the secrecy that surrounds the CCEA process, (NUS-USI), the Secondary Students' Union and particularly on this occasion, which has shone a many others. bright light on how it functions? As has been alluded to already, this situation Mr Allister: I agree absolutely. has exposed many deeper problems in our education system, whether it is the division of children on the basis of academic ability or the

22 Tuesday 18 August 2020 state's expectation that children in impoverished This most recent disastrous decision should be areas should underperform compared with their the final nail in the ministerial coffin. It is time for counterparts in more affluent areas. Those a new chapter in our education system that issues and others, such as the outdated recognises the problems and mistakes of the division of pupils on the basis of their religion, past, seeks to invest properly in its future and remain. However, I am encouraged that those that of all our young people and gives primacy in the education system are up for the fight for a to the needs and experience of those who are better system with proper investment, even if rooted in the education system. I ask other those in charge of the system are not. MLAs to join me in kick-starting that new chapter today by calling on the person I am sure that many of the people who are responsible for the disastrous handling of this rooted in our education system recognise that crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic to have the COVID crisis has had an incredibly the good grace to step aside. Unfortunately, I challenging impact on the sector and that have not been allowed to debate that today, but navigating the crisis was never going to be I make the same call and hope that others will easy. I am sure that many of those people, join me in calling for the Minister's resignation including the pupils, would have understood if today. It is not just me saying it: I want the the response to the situation had been a House to know that a school principal has been humbled Minister who recognised the gravity of in touch and has said the following about the the error that was made and moved swiftly to Minister: rectify it. They did not deserve a doubled-down response, but that is exactly what they got. I "His disgraceful handling of this whole crisis was appalled, as, I know, parents, pupils and has caused school leaders more stress than teachers were, to hear the Minister say that, if the actual health crisis itself. His arrogance, teachers' predictions were used alone without flippancy and clear disdain for the education standardisation, the results would have no workforce has left us feeling unsupported credibility. What disdain for our teachers and and at constant loggerheads with a man teaching staff. who was elected to give us support and guidance. Peter Weir is not worthy of his That level of arrogance has been thematic in brief and school principals do not trust him the approach to schools during the crisis. with the safety and well-being of our pupils Initially, the Assembly refused to shut schools and staff. He needs to go." down to protect communities, forcing principals and teachers to act. Then, it totally disregarded Indeed, Minister: do the right thing and step the planning and experience that were put into aside. designing the phased return in the new school term to minimise the spread of the virus by Mr Speaker: I call the Minister of Education commanding the full opening of schools with and advise him that he has 25 minutes to little consultation. Now, this latest example has respond. undermined the intensive work put in by teachers to guarantee to the best of their ability Mr Weir: Before we get into the meat of the that their pupils would get the grades that they debate, Mr Speaker, I welcome you back from deserved by deeming their efforts to have no your isolation. I also pass on to the SDLP my credibility. It is no wonder that there is a lack of condolences in relation to the passing of John trust in the intentions or ability of the Minister Hume. I appreciate that there will be an among the many teachers who have spoken opportunity at a later date for that to be dealt out publicly. I, too, am unconvinced that the with in a much longer and more appropriate arrogance that was displayed during the crisis manner, but I felt that it was important to put befits an Education Minister. The unwillingness that on record. to listen to or consult properly those in the system who best understand the needs of It has been useful to know that, largely pupils is inappropriate for the person speaking, given the advice that the Speaker responsible for making decisions about their gave at the beginning of the debate that many future. young people would be watching the Assembly, perhaps for the first time, the tone of the debate I tried to table an amendment today calling on has been calm and sensible on what is, the Minister to resign after what, I believe, was potentially, a very emotive issue. There may be a series of disastrous decisions during this some exceptions to that tone, but, broadly crisis, most of which were a result of blindly speaking, that has been the case across the following the path of Boris Johnson's Chamber. That is important. We will talk about Government rather than creating a response systems, numbers and statistics, but I think that that was based on the needs of people here.

23 Tuesday 18 August 2020 all of us acknowledge that, behind anything that people, where they have happened, and pay we try to do, there are individuals. In particular, tribute to the work that they have done. we are dealing with young people and their futures, and that has been foremost in my mind. In March, we faced unprecedented challenges Irrespective of whether different people here as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. I know have disagreements about what I have done or that the word "unprecedented" has become a whether they have taken a different point of cliché, but being a cliché does not make it any view, I think that that is the case for the vast less true. Among many other decisions, the majority of people in the Chamber and beyond. Executive decided that it was necessary to I welcome the opportunity to deal with the issue close our schools for an unspecified period. and to debate it today and to look at the There are some who accuse me of simply decisions that have been made. following what is done at Westminster in terms of the schools. Let me make it very clear: when 2.00 pm we were keeping schools open, when the decision was taken to close, when advice was Let me say at the outset that the COVID given on partial reopening in June and when pandemic has inflicted much suffering and the Executive passed that further advice in hardship on our society, and many of our young August, the advice was, on every occasion, in people have had to face difficulties across line with what the Public Health Agency said different aspects of their lives. I understand and in line with the position of the Chief Medical those anxieties, and I can see that, for some, Officer. If we are to decide things on health the A-level results process has been very grounds, we have to go to those experts. upsetting. With schools closed, it was not possible to We need to put this in the context of the results, continue with the summer examination series, even prior to the changes that were made, and and therefore it was vital that consideration was it is important to put a few facts on the table. It given to how best to provide our learners with is important to note that, when the A-level and certainty about the way forward as soon as AS-level results were announced last week, practically possible. There was the possibility of they were up from 2019. There was a rise of holding off until closer to exam time to take a 1·6% in those achieving A* to C in A levels and, decision, but that would have created similarly, a rise of 2·2% in those achieving A to uncertainty. The worst possible scenario would C in AS levels. Members have talked about the have been to start examinations and, in the long tail of underachievement: in A levels — middle of those examinations, have to take a there was a similar drop in AS levels — the completely different route. That meant that, in a percentage of students who were awarded a U very short window, we had to develop grade has gone down, even before the alternative means of awarding qualifications adjustments that will take place as a result of that would serve the long-term interests of our yesterday's announcement, from 1·7% to 0·9%. young people and ensure that they were able to Fewer than 1% of people got a U grade. progress this year into further or higher education or employment. We set out to provide There has been mention of the impact from a a system that was fair and credible, and, as I socio-economic point of view. While data on the will come to later, any system that we could particular impact on individuals who receive have put in place would have had problems free school meals is not directly held, we saw with fairness. Indeed, any action that could be last week, even on the basis of those results — taken in any direction to be fair to one group of there will be changes as a result of yesterday's individuals in the system may well ease the announcement — that, in A levels, non- particular problems that that group faces but selective schools performed, relatively may have a corresponding and correlating speaking, better than the grammar schools in action that makes it less fair for others, so, as terms of closure of the gap. Similarly, there was much as possible, it was based on well- a very dramatic increase in the AS-level results, established examination processes, including where the selective schools improved by 1·7% standardisation to maintain standards over and, in the non-selective schools, there was an time. improvement of 7·3%. The gap closed from about 17% to about 12%. It is important that, It was also the case that the cohort from 2020, while we deal with the difficulties that have while facing very different situations, has to arisen in this year's examinations, we do not stand in a position that enables comparisons to downplay or diminish the anguish of young be made with other years and also with future people, but it is also important that we years, which will face some level of disruption. acknowledge the successes for our young COVID meant that there was no established

24 Tuesday 18 August 2020 process for how to achieve this, so all awarded this year are recognised as robust, processes had to developed at a pace. reliable and as an accurate reflection of the abilities of our young people. That was why Mr Stalford: I appreciate the Minister giving standardisation was part of the awarding way. At the conclusion of this debate, Mr arrangements developed. McNulty will rise to address the House. I think that it is worth putting on the record what he Moderation and standardisation are important had to say about the model. Mr McNulty said: features of the qualifications awards process every year. Moderation and standardisation are "The words that you used ... were "unique" not new processes; they are annual processes and "unprecedented". I think that is certainly that are widespread across all countries where true. We are in completely uncharted examinations take place. That has happened in waters. It is a bold model that you have put Northern Ireland and elsewhere for many, many forward, and the way you have managed to years, so the concept that this has been simply devise it in such a short time deserves major grafted on this year would be inaccurate. They credit". help to ensure that standards are maintained over time and that outcomes are fair and Mr Weir: I am sure that Mr McNulty will comparable across jurisdictions. In the UK, they probably be working that statement into his have operated across the three jurisdictions concluding remarks. that share GCSE, AS and A-level brands. Scotland has always adopted a different Alternative arrangements were put in place examination system, and, for instance, does not after careful consideration from a wide range of offer A levels. Importantly, standardisation options put forward by CCEA, and that took ensures that qualifications awarded in Northern account of the views of education stakeholders Ireland are recognised as comparable to the and experts. Those included head teachers, the qualifications awarded elsewhere, and it is also Education and Training Inspectorate and the the case that, when development of the teaching unions. Everyone recognised that processes was happening, all of the there was no perfect solution, but the qualification bodies came to a very similar arrangements were the best available given the position on how awards were made. circumstances. I wanted young people to have a solution that gave them an outcome to move Mention has been made specifically of the to next stage of their lives in September but algorithm, and I think that one of the problems which also protected the integrity of our that has arisen is that, when an algorithm is qualification system and past and future applied, particularly as part of a standardisation cohorts. process, where it tends to fall down is when it is applied to very small groups. In England, they This is not simply an abstract concept. Northern tried to artificially rectify that problem, with the Ireland is a small region. If our qualifications are end result that action was taken to apply not seen as having any level of integrity, given standardisation to small groups, and the impact our scale, that would put our students in a of that was to unfairly favour independent particularly difficult situation. The schools. In England, one of the criticisms that standardisation process at A level differed from has been made is that the levels of England in that pupils' prior achievements at AS improvement in results have been much greater level provided the central focus of the in the public school or independent school standardisation process. It is important to point system than across comprehensive schools. out that, in the majority of cases at A level, We have to be careful because, when 58%, and 62%, I think, at AS level have ended interventions take place, they can sometimes up being the grades that students were issued create circumstances that lead to undesirable with last week. Indeed, in 96·6% of cases, the results. students received either the same grade or there was one grade of a difference. A Member: Will the Minister give way? Understandably, we have seen a focus on the roughly 3% where there has been a major Mr Weir: The issue may be dealt with in my divergence. next few remarks.

Our examination system is important not just to The proposer of the motion and other Members young people's future but to the future of the referred to the algorithm being published. On economy, so employers need to have Friday past, I committed to doing that, as the confidence in those qualifications when Member acknowledges, and I gave instructions recruiting staff. Therefore, there is a to CCEA. I can confirm that the algorithm has responsibility to ensure that the qualifications now been published on the CCEA website.

25 Tuesday 18 August 2020

Anyone is free to download, print out or have standardisation, there is grade inflation, examine it. I am sure that not only members of and it has been shown that, as a minimum, the the Education Committee but others will want to numbers of A* to C at A level will go up by more do that. than 10% in a single year. At AS level, I think that the figure is 17%. I think that the figures will Rank order, which was provided by teachers, be lower at GCSE level, but obviously those was used in this system. If the argument is that results are not yet out so I am not at liberty to we see teachers' predictions as being the say. It will undoubtedly be the case that, while critical element, we cannot, on the one hand, very good professional judgements have been say that we regard those as being completely made, if you do not have standardisation, you watertight, but, on the other hand, rubbish rank cannot guarantee that one pupil in one school orders, which have come from the same will be treated exactly the same as a pupil in teachers. another school.

The aim throughout has been to try to create 2.15 pm something that preserves not only the integrity of the exams but the greatest fairness. The That is simply human nature. It would be the problem is that any system being adopted has same if anybody were applying professional flaws and drawbacks. In the application of this judgement in any situation: some people will be process, we have seen that, on a broader more strict and others will be more lenient and system-wide basis, it probably produced the you do not have that level of fairness. I also overall results that were anticipated and created appreciate Mr O'Dowd's position about bodies an overall position for Northern Ireland. Where outside Northern Ireland. I disagree with him, it clearly fell down on some occasions was with but that might well be a debate for another day. individual schools, with individual cohorts and particularly with individuals themselves. That One of the factors that was also of particular was unacceptable. Indeed, it was a similar relevance to A levels and AS levels and in position in other jurisdictions, and different providing that level of equality is that around approaches were taken. In Northern Ireland, my 97% or 98% of GCSEs are set by CCEA and initial approach was to ensure that we had a we have, with a very small exception, a widened appeals process. The appeals process largelyinternal market in Northern Ireland. is normally conducted on procedural grounds, Around one in five A-level and AS-level but it was directed so that any individual could qualifications are given by boards that are show their work. If they had a certain level of mainly English; a small number are Welsh. If prior attainment and showed evidence of that, changes were to be made and Northern Ireland an appeal could be taken. That would have was to go entirely in a solo direction, I would allowed every individual to be treated on merit have had the power to make a change that rather than there being a blanket solution. could have affected the vast majority, 80%, including those within the 80% who had maybe There was some over-hyping in England about not got the grades that they had deserved, but the "triple lock", where the only evidence that that would have meant that there was no was offered was mock results. We went much equality between them and the 20% that lay wider than that. While it had been indicated that outside my hands. That also had to be borne in a mock result would simply overturn a result, mind. when the fine detail was published, Ofqual had to withdraw it. As elsewhere, it was simply one aspect of evidence that may or may not have Mr O'Dowd: I thank the Minister for giving way. led to a change. We put forward an opportunity Setting aside the broader debate of whether for everyone to do that. there should be one or multiple examinations boards, is the Minister not concerned that he, Members mentioned the number of appeals. I as the Minister, has no authority over those who appreciate that, given the circumstances, while are plying their wares to our schools in this appeals continue, there will not be the same jurisdiction? need for appeals. I will give Members some figures. Before any decision was finalised Mr Weir: It is about a legal position. I am sure yesterday, out of about 24,000 CCEA A-level that we will come back to the wider debate on awards, 948 had been appealed, which is a another day, but it is also the case that there is little under 4% of the overall total. That has to an inextricable link. I appreciate that not every be put in context. While a process has now Member will share the same level of concern been adopted for GCSEs, A levels and AS about that linkage, but, for our students, we levels — I am not in any way attacking anybody have always tried to create a three-country — that system also has flaws. If you do not equivalence between England, Northern Ireland

26 Tuesday 18 August 2020 and Wales. That is of significance to the centre-assessed grades will retain the higher examinations boards, the results and because award. While I believe that that is the right thing such a large percentage of our students go to to do in the current circumstances, I recognise universities across the water. Therefore, having that there is still an importance in some level of linkage is very important. If we standardisation and comparability of grades were seen simply to be, if the Member forgives across centres. That will be something that we the pun, "ourselves alone", and took a view that will have to bring into play. entirely deviated from everything, in the longer run the people who would suffer would be our Whatever concerns I had and have in relation to students. the fairness or equality in any of these things, my principal concern was on the basis of Before I move on to discuss A levels and AS ensuring that our young people were not levels, I want to set out the rationale that I have treated in a disadvantaged manner compared announced for GCSEs. Over the weekend, I to their peers elsewhere. There were carefully considered advice from CCEA about discussions between ourselves and England. the imminent award of GCSEs. I decided over Wales was seeking a similar approach. It was the weekend and announced on Monday that it not simply a question of us following England, would be in the best interests of our young but whenever we have a situation where the people to change the original decision and English market represents about 85% of directed CCEA to award all candidates with the students in the UK as a whole, we simply could grades that had been calculated by their not go in some solo direction. So, yesterday, we teachers — the centre-assessed grades. ended up announcing at exactly the same time as England. Wales announced roughly about A number of factors led to that decision. I have an hour before us, but all three nations were mentioned the internal Northern Ireland market, kept in step. Whatever other concerns there but there was also the fact that, while there was are, we now have a situation where all parts of a clear remedy that could be used for the A the United Kingdom are in exactly the same levels and AS levels in the form of a robust position as regards all the qualifications. appeals system, a lack of evidence of individual achievement meant that could not be used to I will mention briefly the implications. There are the same extent with GCSEs. That would have implications that have not been mentioned that rendered an appeals systems very difficult and may be of a less substantial nature than higher time-consuming and created a risk that many education. There will be implications because of students would have found themselves without the increase in the grade awards that will create results before, perhaps, decisions would have issues for post-primary schools and further needed to be made and, in some cases, education colleges because there is likely to be students would not have received their results a shift in where pupils are looking to go. That is until September or into the autumn. Also, the something that will need to be addressed. The methodology for GCSEs could not bring in the principal problem has been recognised within prior performance of individuals, because there higher education particularly. Let us make it was no robust comparable data. very clear that that will be a challenge to the Executive. There will have to be a UK-wide Turning to AS levels and A levels —. solution as part of that because that level of funding cannot simply be plucked out of the air. Mr Lyttle: Will the Minister give way? Let us be very clear: had a different system Mr Weir: Well —. been put in place in March and had we ended up with 95% A* to C, there would have been Mr Lyttle: It is an important point to clarify. massive pressure around the number of additional places at university because a larger number of students would have been in a Mr Weir: I am happy to speak to the Member position here to seek those places. That will afterwards. He will appreciate that I have only have an implication for the cap, and all of us, four minutes left. from whatever party, will need to work together to be able to change that cap and provide that Turning to AS levels and A levels, Members will additional funding. be aware that I directed CCEA to review all awards issued last week and issue a fresh set I will deal briefly with a couple of other points. of results that were based on the higher of the Mr O'Dowd mentioned the reopening of original standardised grade or the teacher- schools. One of the unfortunate aspects was assessed grade. Those that received that while all the focus was on examinations, a standardised grades that are higher than the revised restart paper was sent out last week to

27 Tuesday 18 August 2020 all schools. It was comprehensive in nature, There are those who were disgruntled when covering 70 pages, with the advice and they received their downgraded results — some guidance provided absolutely consistent once 11,000 pupils. Thankfully, those grades will now again with the health advice from the Public be rectified. Well done to those students for Health Agency. their forbearance and patience and for voicing their disillusionment. Well done to their One of the lessons that has to be learned here teachers, principals and parents for supporting and elsewhere is that there is no substitute for them. The last grouping is those students who having examinations. It is the only thing that did not do so well and will not be regraded. can be seen to be entirely robust and fair. They did not apply themselves to their course, Going with that, as we move ahead, underlines for whatever reason. Guys, I am with you. My A the absolute necessity of having a full, safe levels were downgraded, not by an algorithm or return to school, five days a week, so that we an anomaly but because I did not fully commit can ensure that all our pupils, battered and myself to education in school. I was more bruised as they will be by the COVID situation, focused on football and messing around. I say are given the best possible chance to progress to those students that some of the most into the future. successful people I know did not get their A levels or their GCSEs. Other options are open Mr Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Before I call to you. You can take a further education Justin McNulty to make a winding-up speech on approach. the motion, I remind Mr McNulty that the convention is that Members or Ministers who Mr Catney: It is good to have you back, Mr seeking to amend their own motion are invited Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr McNulty, for to address the motion and the amendment giving way to me. Today, we are having an together when moving and winding. The incredibly important debate that impacts on our Member will, therefore, have 10 minutes. young people, and we stand resolutely with those young people. I asked you to give way Mr McNulty: Welcome back. It is good to have because we need to send out that clear you in the hot seat. Hopefully, conditions message: that their futures do not depend on around COVID will remain the same to allow the exams set when they are 16, 18 or 11 years you to stay here. We all have our part to play to of age. I left school at the age of 15, and I was ensure that people remain safe in our society, very lucky that I was able to go to a public and I take responsibility in that regard. house in Moira called the Four Trees, where I served an apprenticeship, as it was then. I now I will start by paying tribute to a hero of mine, represent Moira as an MLA. With good, hard John Hume, whose funeral it was a huge work, there is plenty of opportunity out there. honour for me to attend. I was a member of the We need to send out a clear message to our guard of honour, but we were not even able to young people across Northern Ireland. I will not be at the service because of the COVID be long, Mr Speaker, but it is important that we conditions and the circumstances around that. It embrace the young people who have not done was sad that John did not get the send-off that as well as they would have liked. The future will he deserved, but the family was so strong about not be mapped out for them by exam results but following the guidelines. It was a really by good, hard work and dedication. I ask the dignified, beautiful send-off for a hero to me and House to commend the entrepreneurs who are to so many people on this island and someone able to start their own businesses. They are the whose legacy we can all be proud of in the wealth creators. Chamber and on this island. Mr McNulty: Thank you. I absolutely agree that I will make a winding-up speech on the SDLP results do not define these young people; these motion and amendment as tabled and debated young people define themselves. here today. I thank all Members for their very informed, passionate and measured I will try to quickly go through as many of the contributions throughout the debate. As I see it, points made today as I can. Daniel McCrossan, there are three groupings of pupils who have who tabled the motion, talked about the impact been impacted in different ways by this grading. on young people, teachers, principals and For some, it has been a crisis; for others — parents, and how they came together to force those who did well — it has not. There are this volte-face. He raised his frustration with the pupils who did well. Their grades were not flawed system, the delays in recognising its reassessed, and they will not need to be failure and blindly following London's lead. He regraded. They got the marks that they wants visibility of the algorithm, is thankful that expected and for which they worked diligently. the Minister has said that it is now available, Well done to those pupils. Congratulations. and he questioned the anomalies. He talked

28 Tuesday 18 August 2020 about access to university places, UCAS and of people foresaw it, including my colleague how all of that will be synchronised and Daniel McCrossan. coordinated to ensure that all the issues are addressed. He thanked teachers, pupils and Caoimhe Archibald criticised the Minister for those with specific expertise in the area for their defending an algorithm [Pause] instead of efforts. defending the hopes and dreams of our young people. Sorry, I cannot even read my own Cara Hunter made a very important intervention writing; I need to go back to school. on the impact on young people's mental health. Maurice Bradley spoke about "unprecedented Sinead McLaughlin said that we have done our times" forcing unprecedented actions, and he young people a great disservice. She put a thanked teachers for their efforts in the process. major emphasis on the MaSN cap, saying that it Karen Mullan talked about students being is a noose around the neck of students here, "failed" in a system where 11,000 grades were benefiting only the North's diaspora, breaking downgraded, and teachers' knowledge and up families and draining the talent pool. We expertise were dismissed. need to restructure the system here because the system, as it stands, is not fit for purpose. Robbie Butler applauded the strong voice of pupils, parents, teachers, principals and even Rosemary Barton referred to the impact of an politicians in coming together to force this unseen algorithm on the lives of pupils and outcome. Some 11,000 grades need to be young people. John O'Dowd empathised with changed, and CCEA must act with haste. the position of the Minister of Education, saying Robbie also referred to the strong impact of the that he had been there, done that and bought anomaly on a student who had previously been the t-shirt. He referenced external exam boards a looked-after child, and we have to recognise setting examinations for our schools and that there are young people who do not have an proposed having only one exam board here. easy pathway through education and need all the help and support that they can get. Kellie Armstrong paid tribute to pupils and teachers and to the students and teachers' Chris Lyttle referred to "startling unions and their dignified response to the crisis. inconsistencies" in the grade-awarding system. Patsy McGlone queried why CCEA changed Mr Lyttle also referred to the Minister's following 65% of grades. He asked whether an equality of London's lead in school closures and the impact assessment would be carried out to awarding of grades. He sought clarification on establish whether pupils from non-selective timescales and considerations in relation to schools or disadvantaged areas have been when CCEA will award results, which will discriminated against as part of the process. impact on access to universities. Roy Beggs questioned the awarding system as 2.30 pm it is clear to anybody that there are obvious flaws in the system.

Robin Newton said that the education system Matthew O'Toole said that an approach to here is second to none. I do not think that the prevent any grades being inflated in this year of midst of a fiasco is an appropriate time to say all years was the wrong approach to adopt. He that. Although I concur with other Members who said that the random injustice of an algorithm commented that our educators are world class was very unfair. and second to none, this situation obviously demonstrates that there are serious major Questions remain, including when will the challenges within our education system. We results be revised by CCEA? Will all students export so many of our young people every year, be accepted onto their first choice course when building only a diaspora instead of the they get their grades? Will the MaSN cap be knowledge pool here. lifted to allow universities to accommodate greater numbers? Numerous questions remain, Catherine Kelly questioned why children in the but most pertinent in my mind is that this is an North of Ireland are held to ransom by the outlier year. We have all talked about the decisions of a British Minister in London. unprecedented nature of the virus and the impact on education and exams. Let this be an Chris Stalford said that no one could have outlier year of opportunity for our young people, foreseen the circumstances that we are facing where they see and remember this year as the today, given the global pandemic and its impact year that gave them the leg up to go and on pupils through reduced class time. Well, lots achieve their dreams and achieve special

29 Tuesday 18 August 2020 things. That is not necessarily just down the educational path, but let this be an outlier year where our young people get a leg up. Let it be an outlier year for opportunity.

Question, That the amendment be made, put and agreed to.

Main Question, as amended, accordingly agreed to.

Resolved:

That this Assembly is deeply concerned that the modelling used to calculate grades for AS levels and A levels has awarded incorrect results for students across Northern Ireland; welcomes the Minister of Education’s decision to reverse the unfair model used for awarding grades to ensure students now receive the higher of their teacher-predicted or CCEA grades for A levels, AS levels and GCSEs due to exceptional Covid-19 circumstances; recognises the immense stress, anxiety and disruption this has caused many students; further recognises the resultant implications for local colleges and universities; and calls on the Minister to work urgently with Executive colleagues to provide clarity and guidance to students and educational institutions.”

Mr Speaker: Before I put the Question on the Adjournment, I remind Members that the next plenary sitting is anticipated to be on Monday 7 September. The Business Committee will meet on Wednesday 2 September and Order Papers will issue after that.

During the remaining recess period, meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee on the COVID-19 Response may be scheduled. If that occurs, Members will be notified in the usual way.

Adjourned at 2.34 pm.

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