Cambridge shows empathy; reviewed actions to be announced on Aug 18

Islamabad : Mounting protests and rejection of the ‘lop-sided’ algorithm adopted to award grades to O and A Level students who took the June 2020 exam, has compelled Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) to show empathy by promising certain actions which, it has said, would be announced on Tuesday, August 18.

“We have been looking carefully at how to act on your feedback, and at the same time, make sure schools, universities and employers continue to trust our qualifications. On Tuesday 18 August, we will let you know the actions we will take,” Cambridge International stated in a press note.

Cambridge claimed being aware of the feedback, suggestions and concerns of its students. “Since we released our results on 11 August, we’ve been listening to the feedback. We know schools have been pleased that we were able to provide grades in challenging circumstances. We have also heard your concerns about some aspects of our process, and we understand the real anxieties Cambridge students are facing at the moment,” the press note adds.

Meanwhile, Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood also tweeted on the subject, saying, “As a result of our intervention conveying the anguish of our students, I have just heard that Cambridge has agreed to review its grading procedure regarding the recently declared results. It will announce its final verdict after review on Tuesday.”

Cambridge International decided not to hold exams for its global June 2020 series on account of the Coronavirus pandemic. As such, students were assessed on the basis of their predicted grades, and a rigorous but ‘unfair’ standardization methodology that has completely undermined the academic prospects of even the most brilliant of students, not just in Pakistan but the world over.