THE Scottish Government is being urged to scrap all exams for East Renfrewshire schoolkids next year.

Education Secretary John Swinney has announced that National 5 exams will be cancelled and others will start later in the year, due to Covid-19.

The move means young people who were due to sit their National 5 tests will be given grades based on their coursework instead.

Highers and Advanced Higher qualifications will be pushed back, starting on the later date of May 13, to ensure students who missed teaching time due to the pandemic earlier this year get the chance to catch up.

Contingency plans will also be developed for the cancellation of those exams, with ‘checkpoints’ in place until February for a decision to be made.

However, West of Scotland MSP Ross Greer has said scrapping the entire exam diet for 2021 would be the sensible move.

Mr Greer, who is education spokesman for the Scottish Greens, told the Barrhead News: “Cancelling and replacing National 5 exams was the only responsible choice, so I cannot for the life of me work out why the Education Secretary hasn’t done the same with Highers.

“His comment that this will ‘free up capacity’ doesn’t make sense, given that Nat 5 and Higher exams don’t normally take place at the same time.

“Higher pupils are still being subjected to an unacceptable level of risk, preparing all year for exams which may be cancelled when the government could have adopted the same coursework-based alternative system chosen for Nat 5s.”

Mr Swinney has said that, under the new arrangements for National 5s, up to four pieces of work for every subject will be required from pupils.

In August, the Scottish Government was criticised after exam results grades were based on a computer model, with many pupils left furious after their results were downgraded.

Minister later changed their mind and original estimates of teachers were allowed to stand.

East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald has backed Mr Swinney’s plans for the 2021 exams, saying it will help schools move forward with “greater certainty.”

She added: “It is vital that the efforts of students are properly recognised – and that can only be done properly if everyone is clear on the criteria to be used. Mr Swinney’s announcement provides that clarity.

“This decision is particularly important for those whose school education will end in 2021 and who need a clear passport to their next phase of study or employment.

“I am sure all those in our school communities will welcome the confirmation that the Scottish Government has applied the lessons learned from this year’s exam diet and that no algorithm will be used to moderate grades in 2021.”