Having just overtopped the summit that was A level ‘results’ day it would be remiss of me were I not to talk a little about the issue that has consumed the national media over recent days. The exams that never were have stirred up something of a hornet’s nest across England. My view is that it was almost inevitable that the moderation process designed and driven by exam boards would change grades, that the changes would be more down than up and that therefore claims of unfairness would follow. Having said that the shortcomings of the statistical processing that have now emerged suggest that insufficient modelling of the outcomes was done in advance, and a traumatic few days for everyone duly followed. The decision to revert to centre assessed grades became almost inevitable, and hopefully a lot of the angst and uncertainty is now diminishing.
In BWS’ case we came through really pretty well. Just 16% of the individual subject results were moved down (almost all by just one grade), and 5% were moved up by the same margin. The headline figures were excellent, and the number of students emerging with a sparkling set of grades was really pleasing. It’s a shame that those boys couldn’t be here to celebrate together, but that’s the Way of the World; they will make their mark in HE courses as the next step and I wish them all the luck in the World as they do so. Onward, next, to GCSE and seeing what our Year 12 September 2020 might look like…!
Finally, something different which had initially escaped my notice at the end of last month. Congressman John Lewis, American Civil Rights Campaigner died on 17 July after a lifetime fighting racism and discrimination and representing Georgia in the House of Representatives. Unbelievably, Lewis was one of the leaders who organised the 1963 March on Washington, where MLK delivered his ‘I Had a Dream’ speech, yet nearly 60 years later he was still fighting for what he believed – the establishment of a fair and just society where everyone would be valued for who they are, not what they are. The right to vote. The right to be heard. Don’t go to his Wikipedia page first, instead read the text of the eulogy delivered at his funeral service by an ex-president on twitter at @BarackObama (posted 30/7/2020). I expected eloquence, but this is more. A vivid picture of the man and his life, a call to engage with the issues of the day and an exhortation to fight for an equal, tolerant society. John Lewis said “If you don’t do everything you can to change things, then they will remain the same. You only pass this way once. You have to give it all you have.”
I was very moved by the address; it gives an uplifting message of hope and ‘can do’ in a World which seems pretty bleak sometimes. The sentiment that obviously still drives the author is very far removed from the current incumbent of the White House, where narcissism, introspection and instant gratification seem to be common currency. I was reassured that things can get better if we can all work for what is right in the way that John Lewis did, and I urge you to take 10 minutes to read Obama’s words. You won’t be disappointed.
SDS
