‘A COMPLETE fiasco’: Slough MP Tan Dhesi heavily criticises the government’s handling over A-level student results.

A massive uproar from tens of thousands of upset students at the downgrading of their results led the government to change their mind from using an algorithm commissioned by exam regulator Ofqual to calculate their results after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus.

The government said they would stick with the system – but announced a massive U-turn to switch to teachers’ predicted grades instead where education secretary Gavin Williamson has  apologised.

Reacting to the news, Labour MP for Slough Tan Dhesi said: “The Tory government handling of student results has been a complete fiasco. A time which should be one of excitement and celebration, young people instead suffered days of confusion and anxiety.

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“This major embarrassing U-turn on exam results is a welcome and necessary change in government policy, but it never should have come to this. Given warnings over months to sort it out, academic experts, the Labour opposition, young people, their parents and teachers should have been listened to much earlier.”

He added: “The government thought they knew best with their own political advisors.

“The algorithm, instead of levelling up, as they’ve been constantly been telling us, actually ended up levelling people down – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those well-off areas.”

When asked if Gavin Williamson should resign, Mr Dhesi said: “There has been a failure on such a grand scale, and I think he should be considering his position.”

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Universities have warned the crisis is far from over as the tens of thousands of students who thought they lost their university places are now likely to get the grades they need to go.

The late policy is going to be a tough task, some universities said – but added they will do their best to accommodate them.

Tan Dhesi said: “While we have this screeching, major U-turn – what that has meant is the problem hasn’t gone away in the sense that the universities will now have to grapple with this uncertainty.

“At this point in time, the universities and colleges will be dealing with the A-level results and those higher education establishments will now have to pick-up the pieces.”