School results to be released

The Anderson High School will be closed due to teacher strikes.

Listening to the needs of children and young people has never been more important.

That is the message from Childline on the day that assessment results are due to be released to pupils.

Service head Wendy Robinson said results day can be a “really challenging time”.

Meanwhile, the political fall-out over the exam cancellations has continued.

Earlier this year pupils sat in-class assessments instead of the usual exam diet for National, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications, which were cancelled for the second consecutive year due to Covid.

But concern has run high across the country that pupils had to sit exams “in all but name”.

Ms Robinson said: “The last year has been incredibly tough for young people with school closures, exam cancellations and changes to the assessment process – so it is vital that they are supported and listened to.

“Young people have told us they’re concerned that they may get lower grades than if they’d been able to sit their exams, or that their results are out of their control – whereas others are concerned that they won’t get the results they need for their future.

“Some also said they struggled to prepare and do the work they were being graded on due to having so much time out of school because of restrictions.

“If any young person is feeling apprehensive and worried about their results, I’d urge them to talk to someone about it.

“And if they don’t get the results they need, there are options they can take and there are trusted adults that they can turn to for help and support. This could be a teacher, careers advisor, parent, carer or Childline.”

Ms Wishart said: “I am hoping that every pupil gets the results that they deserve but I worry that this will not be the case.

“Pupils were forced into exams in all but name, sitting as many as 40 assessments in eight weeks, crammed in with little notice.

“The SQA shifted workloads onto teachers and gave them precious little leeway to recognise that some of their students had missed months of education due to repeated stints in isolation or disruption at home.”