§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many appeals against gradings in the 1986 Scottish certificate of education were received by the Scottish Examination Board; and, of them, how many were for (a) H-grade and (b) O-grade;
(2) how many appeals for regrading in the 1986 Scottish certificate of education were successful; how many for each of H-grade and O-grade led to upgrading; and if he will give comparable figures for 1985 and 1984.
§ Mr. John MacKayThe figures requested for 1986 are as follows. These include for the first time appeals submitted in respect of standard grade and the certificate of sixth year studies.660W
Number of appeals Successful appeals Scottish certificate of education ordinary grade 25,990 8,742 Scottish certificate of education standard grade 1214 148 Scottish certificate of education higher grade 16,463 4,332 Certificate of sixth year studies 370 85 TOTAL 43,037 13,307 1 The figures for standard grade do not include awards upgraded because of late submission of internal assessment. The statistics for appeals in 1984 and 1985 are published in the board's annual reports, which are available in the House of Commons Library, but the figures are not directly comparable. This is because in those years the appeal arrangements were more limited. Appeals were not possible for CSYS and in 1984 were confined to candidates receiving band D at ordinary grade or less than band C at higher. In 1985 schools were invited to appeal on behalf of candidates for regrading to bands A, B, or C at either higher or ordinary grade, provided the head teacher concerned certified that significant disruption had taken place in the school as a result of the teachers' action and that the candidates' results had been adversely affected. In 1986 for the first time schools were given an unqualified right to appeal on behalf of candidates for regrading to bands A, B, C or D at higher, grades 1, 2 or 3 at ordinary grade, bands A, B, or C at CSYS, and at standard grade for upgrading of a full award to grade 1, 2 or 3 or for the conversion of a partial to a full award. Appeals continue to be assessed solely on the basis of the evidence of attainment available to the examiners.