Day: August 11, 2020

    Fears are growing of a second global coronavirus wave after four new cases of Covid-19 were identified in New Zealand after 102 days without a transmission. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the news as the UK Government came under fire for its NHS Test and Trace, with Labour saying it is not fit for purpose, despite health minister Edward Argar calling a successful system . Meanwhile pupils returned to the classroom today in Scotland as the first in the UK to begin reopening schools, despite some concerns about how well prepared teachers are to deal with mitigating the spread of the virus, as well as anxiety among staff who are returning. Elsewhere, London and the South East bucked the national trend to see a rise in Covid-19 deaths as the global number of c...

    Exam results in Scotland that were downgraded by a controversial moderation process will be withdrawn, the Scottish education secretary has announced. John Swinney told the Scottish parliament that the 124,564 results affected will revert to the grades estimated by the pupils' teachers. He said he was directing the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to reissue those awards based solely on teacher or lecturer judgement. Schools will be able to confirm the estimates they provided for pupils to those that are returning to school this week and next, Mr Swinney added. Pupils in the most deprived areas of Scotland had their exam pass rate downgraded by more than twice that of students from the wealthiest parts of the country. Exams for nationals, highers and advan...