Michael Fabricant. Picture: UK Parliament
Michael Fabricant. Picture: UK Parliament

The MP for Lichfield and Burntwood says it is crucial the exam system is fair for students from all backgrounds after the disruption of coronavirus.

Michael Fabricant made his comments after questioning the Schools Minister in a House of Commons debate.

The Conservative MP said

“Despite the excellent news regarding vaccines and Britain have the largest vaccine portfolio in the world, and despite the millions being invested into getting schools to be on the same level and equal playing field for all students regarding virtual teaching, it’s estimated that right now some 80% of schools are disadvantaged as far as training their students who are isolated at home.

“So can the Schools Minister please tell me what discussions he is having with the examining boards?

“Is he going to make sure that the examining boards take all this into account when they’re allocating grades next year?”

Michael Fabricant MP

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said talks were taking place on the issue.

“My Honourable Friend will know that 99% of schools are open, that overall attendances are at 83% in secondary school, and we are working with the exam boards, and with Ofqual, on the issue of grading, and we’ll have more to say on that shortly.

“We are also working with the exam boards and Ofqual to make sure that the experience students have next summer is as fair as possible given all that they have experienced over the last year.”

Nick Gibb MP

“Large differences in access to IT equipment”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Fabricant said it was important differences in IT availability was taken into account.

“There are large differences in access to IT equipment between different schools and children studying at home up and down the country and especially in the West Midlands. 

“Is it fair that students from wealthy backgrounds and access to laptops and tablets should have an advantage over those studying from home without?

“Examining boards should take these differences into account next summer.”

Michael Fabricant MP

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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Clare Sholl
3 years ago

I think our millionaire MP’s voting record is rather against him when it comes to addressing the inequalities faced by the poorest children in our society! We all know how he voted when it came to providing free school meals during school holidays…
And let’s not forget how Mr Fabricant reacted when last year’s A’ level students received their results, with many at state schools finding their marks had been downgraded, while independent schools saw their results shoot up. He was quick to lay the blame for the algorithm fiasco squarely on the shoulders of teachers and pupils. He claimed any unfairness was down to “a school having a patchy past performance” or “students not working hard for their mock exams”. He has never to my knowledge issued an apology for insulting schools and students in this way.
If this government had wanted children from deprived backgrounds to have access to the necessary IT during lockdown, this could have been achieved. It’s a little thing called investing in this country’s most precious resource, our young people, and it shouldn’t take a pandemic to convince government that it’s worth doing. All schools should have the necessary resources – today’s students need the right technology available at home even when they aren’t in lockdown. The poorest students are missing out every day, not just during a crisis. Of course, putting pressure on exam boards to tweak exam results costs less money and passes the buck if things go wrong. But it fails to address the fundamental problem.
At the end of the day, it’s not a question of the exam system being fair to all, it’s a question of the education system being fair and that’s never going to happen while we have a bunch of Old Etonians running the country for the benefit of the privileged few.

John Griffin
3 years ago

They could, of course, take it into account like the Welsh, and cancel exams (using teacher led grading using processes set by WJEC). But they won’t. Most students will be disadvantaged since most didn’t get the laptops promised (and those delivered were of poor quality according to TES). Schools with money of course won’t be as disadvantaged.

John Allen
3 years ago

Well said Clare Sholl, couldn’t have put it better myself.