MSPs have demanded answers from Scotland’s qualifications body after raising concerns the process to replace this year’s exams could lead to teachers being faced with a mountain of appeals one weeks before schools are set to re-open. 

This year’s exam diet has been axed by the Scottish Government for the first time in their history as schools were forced to close their doors to pupils in a bid to help tackle the spread of Covid-19. 

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is preparing for next year’s exams to go ahead as normal, but Education Secretary John Swinney has warned that teachers will need to assess pupils throughout the year in case next year’s exams also face cancellation – but no decision has been made. 

Teachers are returning to work this month to begin preparations for schools to re-open on August 11 with a blended learning model where pupils are likely to spend up to half of their time physically in school and the rest at home through remote learning. 

This year’s exams have been replaced by the SQA by a combination of teacher assessments, coursework and estimated grades based on teachers’ judgements – along with previous achievements. 

Detailed guidance on the appeals process for schools will be published on Friday. 

Convener of Holyrood’s education committee, Clare Adamson, has now written to the SQA chief executive, Fiona Robertson, highlighting that the committee “continues to have concerns about the estimation process”. 

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The letter says: “In relation to the appeals process, the committee is concerned that on or soon after 4 August, there may be a large number of appeals should students, parents and teachers seek to challenge particular grades where they are lower than the anticipated grade. 

“This would cause a capacity issue for secondary school teachers who would also be undertaking intensive preparations for the re-opening of schools on a phased basis the following week. In addition, this would generate a notable amount of work for the SQA causing the appeals process to take longer than usual. This, in turn, could lead to a delay in finalising grades of young people reliant on these grades to confirm places on university and college courses.” 

It adds: “The committee understood from the SQA that where the evidence may be lacking that a young person will achieve a certain level based on their performance before the coronavirus outbreak, but a teacher’s judgment was that they had the capacity to achieve a particular level, then an estimate could be based on this teacher judgment. 

“Our focus groups with teachers covered this issue with a number of teachers suggesting that there are lots of students who ‘pull it out of the bag’ for the final exam. 

“Teachers also questioned how an appeals process would work for these young people where the evidence did not exist to substantiate teacher judgment on the ability of these individuals.” 

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EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan told MSPs there should be a plan in place in case next year's exam diet does not go ahead, with Mr Swinney suggesting cancellation or delay in 2021 is possible. 

Giving evidence to the committee on Friday, Mr Swinney said the SQA has been in touch with schools to make staff aware of the need to gather information and evidence on pupils' performance throughout the forthcoming academic year. 

Further guidance will also be issued about "collecting information and evidence to support the judgments about the achievements of young people". 

The Education Secretary added: "Although we are planning for an exam diet I cannot say with absolute certainty that it will be able to take place. 

"So we are asking schools to gather evidence on an ongoing basis to support judgments that may be required to be made in the spring of 2021." 

A spokesperson from the SQA said: "We will of course respond to the points raised by the Education and Skills Committee. 

“Detailed guidance on the free appeals process for schools and colleges will be published this Friday. 

“We have previously said to the committee that we will publish the full details of our approach to certification this year and our equality impact assessment. 

“The strategic framework for re-opening schools, early learning and childcare provision, published by the Scottish Government, makes clear that planning for the 2021 examination diet is underway and will continue.” 

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Nicola Sturgeon was asked about the issue at her daily media briefing. 

She said: "I know how hard the SQA is working to make sure that the plans in place are robust and that they do everything possible to ensure that young people are not adversely affected as a result of the different approach to exams that we have had to take this year. 

"We recognise almost in every aspect of this the impact on children, the impact of parents including their work-life, the impact on teachers. 

"This is like every aspect of dealing with this pandemic, none of it is ideal, none of it is what we would choose. What we have to do is work through as best we can so that we mitigate as far as we can. All of those impacts and most importantly of all, make sure that children's education is not adversely affected." 

She added: "I don't want in any way to underplay or minimise how difficult that is because of the challenges that  are posed through that - but that is the duty I have, it's the duty councils have and teachers and parents and allow of us working together to do that - there's an absolute commitment that we will do that. 

"If there are things we have to change along the way, if there are resources we have to bear along the way, then all in the interests of giving young people the best education that they need and deserve right now, we will do that and we will look at all options to make sure that happens."