Anna Davis, Evening Standard
Poor children, boys, summer born pupils and those from ethnic minority backgrounds could all be disadvantaged by exams being scrapped, education experts warned today.
Teenagers will be given GCSE and A-Level grades based on teacher assessment this year because exams have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Teachers have also been asked to rank their students in each subject.
Speaking to the education committee of MPs today, Lee Elliot Major, professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter called for a review of how fair the results are to students.
He said: “There is lots of evidence of bias – we are all prone to bias. The worry is that unintentionally teachers will underestimate the academic potential of poorer pupils, potentially those from black backgrounds and potentially boys.”
