Following the after exams controversy on awarding of A-level results in the UK, Ofqual chief regulator Sally Collier resigned from the position on Tuesday. She decided that the "next stage of the awarding process would be better overseen by new leadership".
Ms Collier will be temporarily replaced in her role by Dame Glenys Stacey, who will be Ofqual's acting chief regulator until December. Her resignation comes after Ofqual’s heavily criticised “moderation” algorithm shook around 280,000 students who appeared for their A-level exams and their grades fell drastically, much more than their predicted results.
In an official statement Ofqual said, “The Ofqual Board has agreed temporary support arrangements with Ofsted to support the ongoing work on this summer’s GCSE, A level and vocational qualifications, including appeals and autumn exams, and preparations for next year’s exam season. The Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, has decided that the next stage of the awarding process would be better overseen by new leadership. The Ofqual Board supports Sally in this decision, and thanks her for her leadership and service over the past 4 years, which has included overseeing the successful introduction of an entirely new set of GCSEs and A levels, and a new grading system. As a result, the Ofqual Board has asked Dame Glenys Stacey to assume a temporary leadership role as acting Chief Regulator until December 2020, having previously served as Chief Regulator between 2011 and 2016. She will be supported by a new committee of the Ofqual Board, which will include one or more of the current Ofsted Board members. This new committee will be chaired by Amanda Spielman and will oversee the work of Ofqual to the end of the year. Roger Taylor remains Ofqual Chair. If required, Ofsted will also provide additional staff to support Ofqual during the autumn, as they have been supporting other government departments through the summer. Taken together these arrangements will ensure that Ofqual has the extra capacity, support and oversight it needs both to tackle the remaining issues from this year’s awarding process and to ensure that next year’s arrangements command public confidence.”
The regulator's algorithm is said to have unfairly penalised students from schools in disadvantaged communities after the cancellation of this year's exams due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ofqual faced fierce bashing when it wasn’t able to handle appeals from students who wished to improve their grades.
Netizens and the community demanded the resignation of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson who thanked Ms Collier “for the commitment she has shown to the role over the last four years and wish her well for the future."
"I welcome Ofqual's announcement that Dame Glenys Stacey is to assume a temporary leadership role as acting chief regulator and also the new internal governance arrangements put in place with Ofsted support," he added.
After the chaos following the declaration of A-level results, Ofqual and the government announced that they’d do away with the algorithm and that A-level and GCSE students would instead be handed exam grades as predicted by their teachers.
Meanwhile, amid the stepping down of Ofqual chief, Amanda Spielman - Ofsted's chief inspector of schools - has also been drafted in to help oversee Ofqual's work until the end of the year.
