Northern Ireland students to sit fewer GCSE and A level exams in 2021
Secondary school students in Northern Ireland will have to sit fewer exams in 2021 under plans announced by the education minister.
Peter Weir said a more generous grading system would also be used to reflect the disruption to learning caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Weir said GCSE, AS and A Level students would be assessed on significantly reduced curriculum content on 2021, with flexibility introduced to enable pupils and schools to choose which units to take.
"Let me first reiterate that I will not be cancelling examinations," Mr Weir told the Assembly.
"However, I know our students are facing unprecedented disruption to their learning. That's why our qualifications will be different next year and I will be taking exceptional steps to ensure they are as fair as possible. In recognition of the challenges of studying in such disrupted times, I am taking unprecedented steps to reduce assessment across qualifications."
Mr Weir said the experience of 2020 had made it clear that exams must go ahead next year.
"I have heard the calls from some for me to cancel exams," he told MLAs.
"Those voices have been loud and public. But I have also heard the quieter voices of those who are equally anxious that exams should go ahead, and have urged me to stand firm on this."
Exams will go ahead
Mr Weir said he wanted to deliver "fair, inclusive and flexible" exams.
"The best way to assure fairness and comparable standards across all schools is to have a common assessment tool that is applied under the same conditions in every school and is marked externally to ensure fairness," he said.
"I genuinely believe that the experience of summer 2020 has shown us that exams remain the fairest method of assessing and awarding qualifications. We saw right across the United Kingdom and much of Western Europe that despite every effort and good intention, other forms of assessment are likely to be more inequitable.
Cancelling exams would undoubtedly lead to different sorts of anxieties for young people, and would put incredible additional pressures on schools.
"Therefore, I believe that it is in the best interests of pupils and schools that public examinations go ahead. Exams are the best way of giving young people the opportunity to show what they can do which is why it's so important they take place next summer."
Watch: Education Minister Peter Weir speaks to UTV:
Reduction of assessments
In October, Mr Weir announced changes to GCSE exams that would enable students to omit assessment of one unit of each of their qualifications, up to a maximum of 40% of each qualification.
On Tuesday, the minister announced similar changes to AS and A-Levels.
Under the measures, young people will have the opportunity to omit up to 60% of their AS or A2 assessment.
In many subjects that will see pupils only taking one unit of assessment. Unit or units assessed must add up to at least 40% of the AS or A2 qualification.
"At the centre of this reduction is choice," said the minister.
"Our schools and colleges will choose which unit or units of assessment their pupils will take. Our young people will be assessed on topics and content in which they feel most confident and well prepared, allowing them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to the highest possible level.
"In line with the emphasis on choice, candidates will be able to take all of their AS or A2 units, if they so wish."
He added: "I believe these changes will relieve much of the stress which our young people are experiencing. This approach will allow them to focus on key topics for a small number of examinations whilst enjoying teaching and learning in other areas of the qualification, which will not be examined."
Mr Weir raised the possibility of added marks or allowance for students who had missed significant school time due to the pandemic. He said there was a need to reach a common approach to this across the UK.
"There will be a need to develop Covid specific special circumstances for young people," he said.
"I will explore the possibility of a Covid allowance or tariff for young people who have missed a significant number of days face-to-face teaching due to self-isolating. This would allow for specific account to be taken of the variations in disrupted learning since September."
The minister also announced a specific measure for students taking GCSE maths next year. He said they would be provided additional support material, so they would not have to memorise all of the information they would normally have to.
"I hope they will feel more prepared and more confident as a result," he said.
"This aligns with recent announcements in England."
Grading
Mr Weir said the grades would be awarded in line with the above-average results generated by the teacher-calculated grade system that was ultimately used in 2020.
"I want to reassure all of our young people that we will take a generous approach to grading, similar to that announced in England," he said.
"These are extraordinary circumstances in which you have had to complete your qualifications.
"In recognition of the challenges this cohort has faced and is facing, I have decided that grading will carry forward the overall generosity and standards of 2020.
"This will ensure the 2021 cohort are treated fairly, relative to their 2020 peers.
"Students will be awarded more generous grades, in line with last summer's significantly improved result."