BTEC Results Day: Some Students Still Waiting!

Last week saw the first ever triple results day! We had A-Levels, T-Levels, Vocational/Level 3 VTQ’s, including BTECs, all on Thursday 18th August.

However, some BTEC students still have not received their results!

Sector Response

David Hughes, AoC Chief Executive said:

“Thousands of students are still in limbo without the qualification results they have worked so hard for, while most of their peers got them last week. It is simply unfair that they must wait longer and for many they cannot progress onto their next course or job. Exams and results are stressful at the best of times and this delay simply heightens worries.

“I have spoken to and written to the awarding organisations calling for answers and AoC has been in constant communication with Ofqual and DfE officials since we became aware of these issues. Every effort must be made to get the results out to the students, but we also need to have this investigated and I am pleased that Ofqual has already indicated to us that this will happen. Lessons need to be learned so that this does not happen again.

“We have a lot of questions about what went wrong and the timing and sequence of events. We need to know at what point the awarding organisations became aware of problems and why they did not act more swiftly. We need to understand why they have not yet released any statement on the numbers of students without results and why they have failed to put up any spokesperson for the media. Students deserve better than distant and incomplete statements from the awarding organisations who should show more care for the ultimate customers of their qualifications.”

NUS Vice President Further Education, Bernie Savage, said:

“It’s absolutely unacceptable that these students have been let down like this, and could miss out on a place at college or university through no fault of their own.

“All stakeholders, including exam boards, Ofqual and education providers, need to act now to ensure these students get their results as soon as possible, and that they can still pursue their preferred option if they get the required grades.

“This is yet another example of private companies within our education system letting students down. By persisting with its failed marketisation of education, the government is continuing to send the message that profits come before students.”

Labour demands answers as missing BTEC results scandal enters fourth day

With four days having passed since it became clear too many students were missing their BTEC results, Labour has demanded answers from the Government and examination boards as to what is going on and when students will get their results.

Labour has set out four questions to which students need answers now and is calling on the Education Secretary and exam boards to come clean about how many are affected and what is going on. Students deserve to know:

• How long have exam boards known there would be a problem?
• How many students are or have been affected?
• When did the Department for Education know?
• What are the Government doing to help?

Toby Perkins MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Further Education and Skills, said:

“Four days on, it’s time that this zombie government finally get to grips with this issue. The lack of visibility from Ministers since this news broke on Thursday has been a disgrace.

“There has still been no statement regarding what Ministers knew and when. The government need to come clean about the numbers of students affected and make a public statement, instead of hiding in their offices.

“The Education Secretary should be ensuring that the exam boards involved in this incident set out the steps they are taking to rectify it. It is vital that the Government ensures that no BTEC student will lose out on their chance of higher education.”