Rejected petition Cancel ALL English 2021 Public Exams; per rest of UK (GCSE, BTEC, IB & A-Level).

Rejected on 14 January 2021

Insisting that GCSE,BTEC,IB & A Level Public Examinations in England must proceed in 2021 despite rest of UK already announcing cancellations is causing unfair stress levels on English students involved & ultimately creates an unfair advantage to Further Education applicants from the rest of the UK.

There has NOT been a level playing field for all students since March 2020 & continuing now; some have isolated/several times/been ill, had teachers off for isolation/illness or been left studying alone at home (perhaps even without access to a PC/internet) whilst others have been lucky enough to have not missed a class/ALL classes "live" via Zoom etc & NOT missed teacher-days due to isolation of pupil or teachers.
Our children are facing excessive & unfair COVID-related stress as a result.

Why was this petition rejected?

We can't publish petitions when the request is something that's already happening or something that has been announced since you started your petition.

We think your petition is covered by Government or Parliament action already. If you'd like something else, you could start a new petition clearly explaining what it is.

On 6th January, the Government confirmed that GCSEs and A and AS Level exams will not go ahead this summer, and that it intends to use a form of teacher-assessed grades. For more information see:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-statement-to-parliament-on-national-lockdown

We have published the following petitions, which you might like to sign:

Cancel Vocational Exams NOW: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/565615

Decisions about courses and assessments that are delivered by independent educational institutions, as opposed to state schools, are a matter for individual exam boards and educational institutions, not the Government or House of Commons.

We could accept a petition calling for the Government to prohibit any exams from taking place during the Covid-19 outbreak, if that is something you want to happen.

We understand that the current situation is stressful for many people, including students. Student Minds, a mental health charity for students, is collating guidance and developing resources to support students experiencing stress as a result of the current situation, which you may find useful: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.