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2020 UK GCSE And A-Level Grading Controversy
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, all secondary education examinations due to be held in 2020 were cancelled. As a result, an alternative method had to be designed and implemented at short notice to determine the qualification grades to be awarded to students for that year. A standardisation algorithm was produced in June 2020 by the regulator Ofqual in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales, Scottish Qualifications Authority in Scotland, and CCEA in Northern Ireland. The algorithm was designed to combat grade inflation, and was to be used to moderate the existing but unpublished centre-assessed grades for A-Level and GCSE students. After the A-Level grades were issued, and after criticism, Ofqual, with the support of HM Government, withdrew these grades. It issued all students the ''Centre Assessed Grades'' (CAGs), which had been produced by teachers as part of the process. The same ruling was applied to the awarding of GCSE grades, just a few days before t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
COVID-19 Pandemic In The United Kingdom
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirmed cases, and is associated with deaths up to 26 January 2025. The virus began circulating in the country in early 2020, arriving primarily from travel elsewhere in Europe. Various sectors responded, with more widespread public health measures incrementally introduced from March 2020. The first wave was at the time one of the world's largest outbreaks. By mid-April the peak had been passed and restrictions were gradually eased. A second wave, with a new variant that originated in the UK becoming dominant, began in the autumn and peaked in mid-January 2021, and was deadlier than the first. The UK started a COVID-19 vaccination programme in early December 2020. Generalised restrictions were gradually lifted and were mostly ended by Augus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (founded in 1821), are published by Times Media, since 1981 a subsidiary of News UK, in turn wholly owned by News Corp. ''The Times'' and ''The Sunday Times'' were founded independently and have had common ownership only since 1966. It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. ''The Times'' was the first newspaper to bear that name, inspiring numerous other papers around the world. In countries where these other titles are popular, the newspaper is often referred to as or , although the newspaper is of national scope and distribution. ''The Times'' had an average daily circulation of 365,880 in March 2020; in the same period, ''The Sunday Times'' had an average weekly circulation of 647,622. The two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxford, Cambridge And RSA Examinations
Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) is an examination board which sets examinations and awards qualifications (including GCSEs and A-levels). It is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards. OCR is based in Cambridge, with an office in Bourn, Coventry. It is part of the University of Cambridge's Cambridge Assessment which merged with Cambridge University Press in August 2021. OCR delivers GCSE and A-Level examinations in the United Kingdom whereas for other countries Cambridge Assessment operates the examination board Cambridge Assessment International Education. An important distinction between the two is that OCR qualifications must comply with UK government regulations set by Ofqual while Cambridge International Examinations international GCSEs and GCE A-Levels do not. OCR also manages the UK's national examination centre registration numbering system on behalf of several Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) member bodies. Hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Civil Service (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy or Secretariat (administrative office), secretariat of Crown employees that supports His Majesty's Government, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government, which is led by a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, cabinet of Minister (government), ministers chosen by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As in other states that employ the Westminster system, Westminster political system, the Civil Service – often known by the metonym of Whitehall – forms an inseparable part of the Government of the United Kingdom, British government. The executive decisions of government ministers are implemented by the Civil Service. Civil servants are employees of the The Crown, Crown and not of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, British parliament. Civil servants also have some traditional and Statute, statutory responsibilities which to som ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are the non-political civil service chief executives of government departments or ministries, who generally hold their position for a number of years (thus "permanent") at a ministry as distinct from the changing political secretaries of state to whom they report and provide advice. The role originated in the Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil service of the United Kingdom and has been adopted in several Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries as well as other countries influenced by the Westminster system. Country Australia In Australia, the position is called the "department secretary", “secretary of the department”, or “director-general of the department” in some states and territories. Canada In Canada, the senio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Department For Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for child protection, child services, education in England, education (compulsory, further, and higher education), apprenticeships in the United Kingdom, apprenticeships, and wider skills in England. A Department for Education previously existed between 1992, when the Department of Education and Science (UK), Department of Education and Science was renamed, and 1995, when it was merged with the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Employment to become the Department for Education and Employment. The current holder of Secretary of State for Education is the Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP and Susan Acland-Hood is the permanent secretary (UK), permanent secretary. The expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department of Education are scrutinised by the Education Select Committee. History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are the non-political civil service chief executives of government departments or ministries, who generally hold their position for a number of years (thus "permanent") at a ministry as distinct from the changing political secretaries of state to whom they report and provide advice. The role originated in the Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil service of the United Kingdom and has been adopted in several Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries as well as other countries influenced by the Westminster system. Country Australia In Australia, the position is called the "department secretary", “secretary of the department”, or “director-general of the department” in some states and territories. Canada In Canada, the senio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jonathan Slater
Jonathan Slater (born 29 November 1961) is a former high ranking British civil servant. From May 2016, he was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education until his abrupt dismissal on 26 August 2020 following a controversy over national school examination grades. Career Slater entered Civil Service in 2001 joining the Cabinet Office, having previously worked for the London Borough of Islington. After four years there, he moved to the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit at Number 10 Policy Unit in 2005, working on NHS reform and the capability review programme. In 2006, he transferred to the Ministry of Justice, working in the National Offender Management Service as its Director of Performance & Improvement, and then in 2008 as Chief Executive of the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, before being promoted in 2009 to Director-General, Transformation. In July 2011, Slater moved to the Ministry of Defence as its Director-General, Transformation and Corporate Strategy, enco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sally Collier
Sally Collier is a British civil servant and former head of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). She also involved in negotiating changes to European Union rules governing public procurement. Career She has served as the CEO of the Crown Commercial Service, an executive agency of the Cabinet Office. She was also previously the managing director of the Government Procurement Service and Director of Procurement Policy and Capability. On 25 April 2016 she was appointed as the chief regulator of Ofqual, replacing Glenys Stacey who stepped down from the position in February 2016 after a five-year term. Prior to her appointment as the exam regulator, she had nearly twenty years of experience in the civil service. GCSE and A-Level grading controversy In 2020, Collier was criticised over the implementation of the Ofqual exam results algorithm which was termed by teachers and students as unfair for the purpose of grading the students following the can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pearson Edexcel
Edexcel (also known since 2013 as Pearson Edexcel) is a British multinational education and examination body formed in 1996 and wholly owned by Pearson plc since 2005. It is the only privately owned examination board in the United Kingdom. Its name is a portmanteau term combining the words ''education'' and ''excellence''. Edexcel regulates school examinations under the British Curriculum and offers qualifications for schools on the international and regional scale. It is the UK's largest awarding organisation offering academic and vocational qualifications in schools, colleges and work places in the UK and abroad. It is also recognised internationally. In 2019, Edexcel was the focus of significant controversy following a leak of an A-level examination. History Edexcel was formed in 1996 by the merger of two bodies, the BTEC (Business & Technology Education Council) and ULEAC (University of London Examinations and Assessment Council). In 2003, the Edexcel Foundation (the ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to open in England for more than 600 years, after University of Oxford, Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, and is thus the third-oldest university in England debate, third-oldest university in England. As a collegiate university, its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and its Colleges of Durham University, 17 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide teaching to students, while the colleges are responsible for their domestic arrangements and welfare. The university is a member of the Russell Group of British research universities and is also affiliated with the regional N8 Research Partnership and int ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Good Law Project
The Good Law Project is a United Kingdom-based political non-profit company. Founded by Jolyon Maugham, the Good Law Project states that its mission is to achieve change and government accountability through the law. History The Good Law Project was founded in January 2017 as a company limited by guarantee under English law headed by Maugham. It is a non-profit but not a registered charity. In 2019 it launched a crowdfunded challenge to the prorogation of Parliament by Boris Johnson's Conservative government, which was ultimately successful. The prorogation was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court, but by this time Johnson's government had pushed through their Brexit deal so the issue was moot. However, the £200,000 raised enabled Good Law Project to hire more staff and launch other fundraisers to take on more cases. In the 2022 case of ''Good Law Project & Anor, R (On the Application Of) v The Prime Minister & Anor 022EWHC 298 (Admin)'', the High Court was critical of the Go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
