AN SNP MP has called for the Scottish Government to intervene in the controversial SQA moderation process hitting those from deprived areas harder than pupils in more affluent areas.
Teacher estimates of grades have been moderated by the SQA after this year’s exams were forced to be cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: SQA under fire after thousands of pupils' grades lowered based on schools' past performance
But with schools’ past performance taken into account in the moderation process, analysis has shown that more than 85 per cent of Highers were graded between A and C by teachers at schools in Scotland’s most deprived areas but were downgraded by more than 15 per cent by the SQA moderation.
For the same results at Scotland’s least deprived areas, less than seven per cent of the grades were downgraded.
READ MORE: Demands for SQA to explain moderation as downgraded pupils will not be able to resit exams
Mhairi Black, the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South has hit out at the methods used to adjust grades.
She said: “I am deeply concerned by the information released today, which shows students from deprived areas saw their results reduced from their predicted grades at a higher rate than those who from wealthier areas.
“The Scottish Government must address this.”
...than those who from wealthier areas.
— Mhairi Black MP🏳️🌈 (@MhairiBlack) August 4, 2020
The Scottish Government must address this.
4/4 https://t.co/k1hBpLOVO9
An SQA spokesman said: “The most disadvantaged young people have achieved better results in 2020 compared to both 2019 and the average results for the last four years.
“At Grades A to C, the attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged young people is also narrower this year for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher than for last year or the average gap for the last four years.”
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