Committee
Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 01 Nov 2000
01 Nov 2000 · S1 · Education, Culture and Sport Committee
Item of business
School Exams
Bill Morton:
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I very much regret that, once again, in appearing before the committee, I have to start by making an apology. Unfortunately, we did not fully meet the deadline of 31 October—we missed that deadline with 196 appeals outstanding, from a total of some 40,800.
The simple reason for that delay, for which there is no excuse, is that we were checking to confirm that the results that were communicated to the centres were absolutely correct. We wanted to conduct further checks in one or two cases—that is, in 196 cases. Letters were sent to the centres yesterday and the time scale for resolving outstanding appeals completely and accurately will be either later today or tomorrow.
The simple reason for that delay, for which there is no excuse, is that we were checking to confirm that the results that were communicated to the centres were absolutely correct. We wanted to conduct further checks in one or two cases—that is, in 196 cases. Letters were sent to the centres yesterday and the time scale for resolving outstanding appeals completely and accurately will be either later today or tomorrow.
In the same item of business
The Convener (Mrs Mary Mulligan):
Lab
Good morning. I welcome back members of the Scottish Qualifications Authority—there are a few more of you on this occasion. Although we are missing a couple ...
Bill Morton (Scottish Qualifications Authority):
Thank you, convener. Jean Blair, whom members may have met before, is a member of our staff and is involved in the project management of the operational revi...
The Convener:
Lab
Thank you. You will be aware of this morning's press coverage of outstanding appeals for students of the 2000 diet. Are those reports accurate? What is the p...
Bill Morton:
I very much regret that, once again, in appearing before the committee, I have to start by making an apology. Unfortunately, we did not fully meet the deadli...
The Convener:
Lab
There were reports that students had contacted the SQA and had not been able to receive information. Had you made any arrangements for that kind of response?
Bill Morton:
We had set up the helpline. However, the main line of communication should be the presenting centres, which are the best places for students to obtain inform...
The Convener:
Lab
So the committee should make it known that the best route for people still having difficulties is through the centres and that you have made contact—or will ...
Bill Morton:
We have made contact with all the centres and all the information on the outstanding 196 cases will be conveyed to them. I regret that we are still in this p...
The Convener:
Lab
I am sorry. I missed whether you said that there was a time line for completing the outstanding 196 cases.
Bill Morton:
We are working to confirm the 196 cases today and tomorrow. We are also chasing up some information that we have been waiting for from third parties.
Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
Are we are talking about 196 individuals or 196 appeals?
Jean Blair (Scottish Qualifications Authority):
We are talking about 196 appeals.
Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Although I am grateful for the answers that you have given, Mr Morton, you must accept that public faith in the SQA is at an all-time low; yesterday's public...
Bill Morton:
I do not have an adequate response to that point. Yesterday, I found myself in a similar position to that of committee members. The information was conveyed ...
Michael Russell:
SNP
There will be a strong sense of disquiet, because much of the evidence that the committee has heard on what happened until August was couched almost exactly ...
Bill Morton:
I am not comfortable with being cast in the position of not giving full and accurate information to the committee. That should not happen, but it has. It has...
Michael Russell:
SNP
You are still avoiding the issue. Given that public disquiet, and disquiet among clients, must have been caused by what has happened in the past 24 hours, re...
Bill Morton:
I still believe that if we put right—sorry, when we put right—all that needs to be fixed in the SQA, that will be the basis on which reassurance should ideal...
Michael Russell:
SNP
Convener, does the committee want to ask for a list of key dates in next year's diet, starting from now, that the SQA believes have to be met? Such a list sh...
The Convener:
Lab
I am more than happy to ask for that information. It would be helpful to allow Mr Morton to give his presentation, so that members can ask questions on it. I...
Bill Morton:
We would be happy to provide that information and to put it in the public domain. I hope that it would give some comfort to the public about what we are stri...
The Convener:
Lab
I am sure that, in the information you provide, you can indicate where that is the case.
Bill Morton:
The bigger issue is that the SQA needs to be held accountable. I understand and accept the need for that and I am happy to comply.
Michael Russell:
SNP
It would be useful if we could publish the dates as an annexe to our report. That would provide a forward-rolling checklist of what lies ahead of us.
Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab):
Lab
Are the 196 appeals all in one area or they spread across the range of exams?
Bill Morton:
They are spread across a number of centres and subjects. The appeals do not follow a pattern.
Mr Macintosh:
Lab
One of the problems that the committee has identified is the lack of an appropriate management system to set off alarm bells when a deadline is not going to ...
Bill Morton:
You raise two issues. First, the 196 cases were discovered because of the checking and double-checking that we carried out to ensure that we could confirm th...
Mr Macintosh:
Lab
Indeed. As you say, there are two issues. Either the management system is not correct—in other words, instead of aiming for the deadline of 31 October, you s...
Bill Morton:
Sadly, criticism centres on the latter problem rather than the former. Accommodation had to be made for the fact that we were dealing with twice the normal v...