LOOKING FORWARD
G HOW WE APPROACH EDUCATION IN THE POST-COVID ERA, MATCH SKILLS TO THE NEEDS OF THE JOB MARKET AND TACKLE INEQUALITY WILL REQUIRE SOME RADICAL RETHINKING Bridging the Gap
CSE and A-level results days are always incredibly stressful events. But this year must have set record highs for levels of emotion all-round – for teachers and parents as well as pupils. Opening those results envelopes was the culmination of a process that saw the normal assessment system turned inside out and upside down for two years, when traditional exams simply didn’t happen. It was only this year that pupils were back in school sitting exams the way they used to – with a real ‘back to the future’ feel about it. Some GCSE pupils found limited opportunity to practise exam technique in the run up to their exams, while Covid-19 closures had made it hard to cover the syllabus. For A-level students, it was even tougher. They had also missed out on GCSE exams (which they would have taken in 2020) due to the pandemic, after schools closed suddenly in March that year and public exams were cancelled. Schools are always proud of their pupils’ success – and so you’d hope – but this year their tributes are even more heartfelt than usual. Results, say senior teachers locally, are ‘exceptional’ and ‘extraordinary’. Things aren’t yet back to normal – though they’re getting there. Additional help will continue to be necessary. In February this year, the government set out details of a programme aimed at identifying priority areas in parts of the
8 AUTUMN/WINTER 2022
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