THE weather is improving, so for many S4 pupils in Scotland, it is traditionally the time to prepare for the exams they will face in the near future.
However, with the introduction of the new National qualifications, sadly, this is not the case for all pupils.
Those who are following National 5 courses will almost all have an external exam to sit, equivalent to Credit Standard Grade (now defunct) or Intermediate 2 (still available to S4 pupils in East Renfrewshire). On the other hand, pupils who are at National 4 level will have no external exams to sit at all, in any subject. The whole award has been assessed internally by their teachers, much of this under heightened levels of stress, mostly caused by SQA mismanagement. These pupils, who only a year ago would have been preparing for General Standard Grade (now defunct) or Intermediate 1 exams (still available to S4 pupils in East Refrewshire) are being short-changed. The pupils even realise this themselves, if reports of trying to keep them engaged, without the focus of an external exam, are to be believed.
An external exam for N4 pupils, in all subjects, must be introduced in time for the exam diet of 2015. This must be done to restore the value of National 4 qualifications before they quickly gather the reputation of not being worth the paper they are printed on.
Finally, who thought up the crazy idea that S4 pupils of this ability level should sit external exams last year, but not this year? Or was it all simply a cynical attempt at saving money on exam papers and markers? I suspect it was.
Alan Carroll,
24 The Quadrant,
Clarkston,
Glasgow.
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