Information obtained today from West Dunbartonshire Council on local pupil results, indicate a significant number of students had their results downgraded by the SQA.

West Dunbartonshire Council has confirmed that 43.8% of students taking Highers had their marks downgraded and 43.3% of Advanced Higher results were similarly downgraded.

This flies in the face of the professional judgement of teachers and the individual academic achievements of the pupils with a blanket approach to moderating the grades in this years’ qualification round.

Local Dumbarton Constituency MSP Jackie Baillie, is calling on the Scottish Government and the SQA to take urgent action to address this huge injustice to our young people.

Commenting Jackie Baillie MSP for Dumbarton said:

“It’s shocking that 43.8% of higher pupils and 43.3% of advanced higher pupils have had their results downgraded by the SQA in what can only be described as a postcode lottery.

“Both the SQA and the Scottish Government were warned that this system of moderation would be grossly unfair, and it is.  Essentially students from working class backgrounds across West Dunbartonshire have been failed by Education Secretary John Swinney, and this scandal has baked inequality into Scotland’s education system, further widening the attainment gap.

“This is a scandal of enormous proportions. Scotland’s young people have been let down. For so many in our area to have their results downgraded is shocking and potentially damaging for their future.

“The SQA will now see a deluge of appeals, they and the Government need to take action now to give parents and students confidence in that system.

“Students in West Dunbartonshire and around Scotland deserve better than this”.

~ENDS~