BTec results delay ‘left pupils feeling like second-class citizens’, MP suggests

The chairman of the education committee said issues which saw thousands of BTec pupils not receive their grades on results day left them “feeling like second class citizens.”

Robert Halfon, the chairman of the cross-party select committee, criticised exam boards OCR and Pearson after thousands of pupils did not receive their results on August 18, describing the process as “shambolic.”

He told the committee 7,000 students did not receive their Pearson level two BTec grades on results day 2022 and 3,300 level three BTec results were not received.

A further 3,200 students were affected by the delayed level three results from Cambridge Technical results, ordered by OCR, he added.

During the committee hearing, Mr Halfon questioned Jill Duffy, chief executive of OCR, and Mike Howells, president of workforce skills at Pearson UK, about the delays.

He said: “Don’t you agree the process was shambolic? And left pupils who undertook vocational qualifications yet again feeling like second class citizens?”

Ms Duffy and Mr Howells apologised in response, with Ms Duffy saying the “vast majority” of Cambridge Technical results – 39,000 – were delivered on the day. A further 1,500 pupils who had university places received theirs a week later.

Both bosses added no one lost their place at university as a result of the delay and investigations were under way to prevent it from happening in the future.

OCR’s review is due to conclude in November, while Pearson’s is expected a month later.

The committee heard both boards found out about the issues the day before results day and they both met with the then-Education Secretary James Cleverly on August 22.

Mr Halfon then quoted a Pearson spokesperson from an article in August, who stated there were “a tiny percentage of grades which were ineligible”, and was typical for this stage, even prior to the pandemic.

“I just find statement incredibly depressing,” he said. “Surely you would agree calling thousands of pupils affected by this ‘a tiny percentage’ as dismissive and fails to acknowledge the stress, misery and upset caused by the delays in results?”

Mr Howells said: “I think what the Pearson spokesperson was explaining at that point, was if you track historical trends in data, and in particular, when we receive requests for grades from schools and colleges, and when we receive information to show students have completed their courses… the data was showing typical trends.”

Mr Halfon added: “Do you not think that’s a pretty insensitive thing to say on a day when thousands of students are not getting their vocational results? It’s just like ‘let them eat cake’ from Marie Antoinette.”

Mr Howells replied any missed result was “unacceptable”.

Dr Jo Saxton, chief regulator Ofqual who also gave evidence during the hearing, adding the delays “absolutely shocked me to the core”.

“I am absolutely determined, on my watch, I will do everything in my power to make sure students are protected from similar stress again, that’s why I’ve commissioned the widest scale review of its kind,” she added.

Dr Saxton told the committee exam arrangements for next year will return to pre-pandemic measures, meaning results nationally will be lower, but exam aids will be allowed again.

Mr Halfon also queried critics’ concerns private schools were “gaming” the teacher-assessed grading system after the schools saw a larger drop in top grades in 2022 compared with 2021.

Comprehensive schools also saw a fall in top grades, but the gap was wider for private schools.

Dr Saxton said 2021 and 2022 results had “totally different” forms of assessments but added: “Ofqual takes all allegations of malpractice and cheating extremely seriously and we require the boards to investigate any credible evidence of malpractice and cheating.

“I know there are also ongoing investigations.”