University and College Union response to BTEC and GCSE results chaos

Reacting to this year’s GCSE results and the postponement of BTEC grades the University and Colleges Union (UCU) said that the chaos has harmed students, and that we now need to see a big increase in funding for further education, as well as an end to privatisation, so colleges can play a big role in our national recovery and make sure no student is left behind.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said:

‘Students have worked incredibly hard in difficult conditions this year. But due to government chaos BTEC students will have woken up this morning expecting to receive their results only to be told that a private company has pulled them. The government now needs to fix this mess so students can plan for the future. We need to stop turning education into marketplace, end the absurdity of private providers assessing results, and put students first.’

‘If we see a similar increase in BTEC pass rates as we have seen in GCSE’s then many more students will be able to go to college. The government now needs to commit to increasing funding and capacity so that no student is left behind and so colleges can safely welcome students in the middle of a pandemic.

‘Colleges will need to play a big role in our national recovery but a decade of funding cuts has led to a third of teachers leaving further education since 2009. The last thing this cohort of students needs is a substandard experience in colleges because the government fail to fund the sector. Students are paying the price for a decade of cuts and privatisation, we now need to fund further education properly as part of a national recovery plan.’