The Labour leader warns the government it risks “robbing a generation of their future” if it does not make the exam system fairer.
A-level students in England will be able to use grades in mock exams to progress to university and college courses and employment, the education secretary has announced.
The change forms part of what Gavin Williamson has called a “triple lock” to give students confidence in the moderation system, which can see predicted results set by teachers downgraded based on a school’s previous record.
It comes as unions called on the government to follow Scotland’s lead in scrapping moderated grades after the downgrading of more than 124,000 results was reversed.
Setting out the decision to press ahead with a moderated results process, Mr Williamson said: “Every young person waiting for their results wants to know they have been treated fairly.
“By ensuring students have the safety net of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams, we are creating a triple lock process to ensure they can have the confidence to take the next step forward in work or education.”
Schools minister Nick Gibb defended the change, telling Sky News the calculated grades system is “fair” and “youngsters tomorrow getting their results can be confident in those results”.
Speaking to Kay Burley@Breakfast, he added: “It is just making sure at the edges that no student is disadvantaged.
“This is just to give a safety net for any student who might fall through the system.
“It will only affect a small group of people. Most young people tomorrow will get the grade that the teacher sent in to the exam board that they thought they would get.”
Ministers are expected to pledge a further £30m to help schools provide autumn exams to those students who wish to take them.
However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government must take steps to make the system fairer.
He has called for statutory guidance to require colleges and universities to show greater flexibility in admissions and wants ministers to prevent GCSE maths and English results being downgraded below the lowest pass grade.
“Pupils and parents are rightly worried that years of hard work are about to be undone because a computer has decided to mark their child down,” he said.
“The SNP have been forced into a humiliating U-turn after a shambolic few days. With 24 hours before results are released, I would urge the prime minister to change course, or he risks robbing a generation of their future.”
