Govt should encourage universities to "exercise leniency" for 2020 admissions

This Thursday (13th August) will see our young people receiving their A level results. Their final year of school/college was interrupted in March by the pandemic and questions have arisen around this years grading system and how it will impact their future.

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to issue guidance encouraging universities to "exercise leniency" in admitting students with lower-than-predicted grades, in the wake of concerns about how grades will be awarded this year.

• A young person's GCSE and A-level grades will impact their education and job opportunities for years to come. It is disgraceful for any young person to have their grades lowered unfairly.
• Guidance published on last Friday suggested individual students won't be able to appeal their grades directly with Ofqual is a travesty. Government must step in immediately and confirm that pupils will be able to appeal their grades free of charge.
• The Government should also give clear guidance to universities, encouraging them to exercise leniency when it comes to entry requirements, given the chaos cuased by COVID-19. Without this, there is a risk that inequality in access to higher education will become even more stark as a result of this crisis.