Highers cancelled: Pupils given marks based on teachers' judgement need fair treatment from employers – Steve Cardownie

As a parent of a school pupil who is currently studying for his Highers, I was obviously keenly interested in the Scottish government’s intentions for the exams next year.

John Swinney has announced the cancellation of this year's Highers and Advanced Highers (Picture: David Davies/PA Wire)

National 5s had already been cancelled with course work, along with teacher assessment, being used to determine the qualification that each pupil will be awarded next year.

The situation regarding Highers had been in limbo – with the uncertainty causing concern for pupils and parents alike – until the Education Secretary, John Swinney, yesterday announced that they would be cancelled too, saying: “We will adopt the new model that has been developed and base awards on teacher judgement of evidence of learner attainment. This is safe. It is fair. And it better recognises the reality of the disruption so many pupils have already had to their learning.”

I am sure that pupils will be doing everything they can to redouble their efforts by striving for high marks in informal tests, ensuring homework is completed and submitted on time, and generally “upping their game” following the decision, which also applies to Advanced Highers.

Now we know they are not going ahead, it is important that the qualifications gained are not in any way diminished in the eyes of potential employers due to the methodology deployed and that they will be afforded the same status as a pass in an exam.

It is no fault of the pupils that their education has been disrupted by this pandemic – it would be manifestly unjust if it was also to have a negative impact on the rest of their lives.

For many pupils, this will be their last year at school, so ensuring equal treatment is vital for them.

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