Let's have some accountability from Ofqual, plenty of civil servants there earning very good salaries but don't recall anyone fronting up to explain what is going on.

Head of Ofqual on around 200K

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.

Agreed.

I am actually doing an online history of art course for fun it is a lot more academic that you would think and like any subject you have to learn a great deal and then write papers to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding. So why lower the bar to that level I think they are desperate for money and students.

Unless you are planning a career that needs an art degree all you are doing is saddling yourself with a lot of debt. As you say they would be better off avoiding university and getting a practical transferable skill for the job market. They can always do what I have done which is sign up to an online course if that is their interest.

One more point

As a teacher, It’s an omnishambles, but no easy answer. No standardised mocks, inaccurate grade predictions, so can’t trust them. Few pupils actually get their predicted grades - I missed mine.

That being said, the pencil pushers need to have a long hard look at themselves - the system has probably worked fine for the majority, but it’s the outliers who have been screwed over - those at the top and bottom. And the ministers were far too slow to see this was a disaster - especially after Scotland. The school would have to wildly off to countenance dropping someone more than one grade - but perhaps some schools tried to over grade in anticipation of grades being cut - hard to know without seeing exact details.

Also, it’s not a private/state thing - did u hear about the private school pupil predicted a B/C but given a U as she was bottom of her bright class and someone in a previous year got a U. Sadly some top state pupils will be affected, but one would hope the Universities would honour the places and trust their judgement more than an algorithm’s. I’d almost have mandated that from the top and required all Unis to honour their offers. Also schools that were improving will have been rather shafted.
I’d also suggest that the Private school grades were perhaps deemed more accurate and backed up with plenty of data - a friend of mine worked hours trying to make sure his predicted grades were heavily backed up by data, including comparisons to 5 years worth of students and their relative performances on the same tests over that period. The message from the top was to make sure the grades weren’t questionable in the slightest. My experience of teaching in comps is that teachers are a lot more hopeful in their predicted grades. Thankfully I know teach younger ages so didn’t have to deal with this fiasco.

Not everyone will want to get a skill.
Lots might be more than happy to sweep,stack and generally do a non skilled job. Why all this about grades and apprenticeships. Someone has to do the menial work. This can lead to great riches.
I know a company with the name of a chess piece. The two owners started off with a bucket and sponge cleaning windows.
Now they are millionaires with a huge business.
Not everyone starts at the top.

The why is because we have a shortage of home grown skilled labour that needs to be filled. It is also nice to see ambition in youngsters and whilst menial jobs are important and necessary I'm not sure there are many kids at school who dream of having one.

Yes, I too know of people from low income jobs that have built up decent companies and that is to be applauded. If you have the tenacity to be capable of doing that, then good on you.

In reply to Nimblehippo there are obviously many sides to this.
Those who got a Uni place need to back off to help clear the decks whether they like their grades or not because they are sorted.
Those who were never going to get good grades should be parked for now as well as they are just crowding the space.
However - there are definitely those who must wonder what happened and they do need to be heard and asap for their sakes.
Everyone has a part to play from the Government down - Teachers and Universities included.
No system is ever right and this was always going to be the toughest one ever but there are a few wrongs that need righting so let's hope that those in most need get the help.