Azhir Mahmood  🚀 🤖 🧬 🧠 🪐

Never sure how I feel about scrapping exams. There's many problems with the system but always coming top in exams is what changed my life beyond recognition. I did in coursework too but it's different cos ppl with privilege can cheat easier (let's not pretend it doesn't happen!)

And don't get me started on instead using predicted grades and going to the 'right' school...

I think often about the pupils who have been totally failed by the system introduced during Covid (even more than they are usually failed by the regular system). If I had been an A Level student at my not very well performing college during the crisis? Then what?!

Exam performance is also heavily influenced by privilege and confidence on that single day. What’s really happening is you’re seeing how the system has always worked. Unless the system factors privilege, it’s always open to exploitation.

Because we benefit from the examination system. Doesn’t mean it was ever a fit for purpose system. The achievement gap has always been a thing!

I'm not saying it's totally fit for purpose, but I really don't think cw or predicted grades in place of exams are either.