AQW 2519/22-27

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 30/06/2022
Answered On Date: 06/07/2022
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to outline the (i) rationale; and (ii) consultation undertaken with key stakeholders, regarding the decision to change the date for the Modular exams for GCSE English and Maths from January 2023 to November/December 2022.

Answer:

Both January 2021 and January 2022 have been extremely difficult in regard to the public health context. Consequently, scheduling the exams for November/December reduces risk of cancellation.

My officials consulted with a wide range of educational stakeholders, including school leaders, young people and trade unions, to help inform my recent decisions for the awarding of CCEA qualifications in 2022/23. All post-primary leaders were also asked to complete an online survey on the proposed arrangements. The majority of respondents were in favour or had no preference in regard to the re-scheduling of the winter GCSE series.