Week of chaos, confusion and incompetence for UK students

The British government is in the eye of the hurricane because of the high school results, considered unfair after the tests were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the authorities established a system based on an algorithm.

Almost 300,000 students were exempted from the final exams and received the results last week, based on the teachers' assessment.But the results were corrected by an independent body which used statistical criteria to approximate examinations from previous years.

Result: almost 40% of the marks awarded by teachers were reduced, especially in low-income neighbourhoods.

Scotland was the first to suffer the wave of criticism about the evaluation methodology. Faced with the outrage, the local government apologised and decided that the results would depend solely on teachers' assessments.

In Northern Ireland, the government announced that results should be based solely on teachers' opinions in order to "calm the anxieties".

In England, however, the government announced a few hours before the results were published a system that allowed for appeals, but then indicated that the procedure was being revised, which caused even more confusion.

It will be possible to take the exams again for free during the autumn (northern hemisphere), in fact postponing access to the university by one year.

Education Minister Gavin Williamson said the government will not change the system, despite the criticism.