Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20200820 09:00:00 : compare

Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20200820 09:00:00

This is bbc news, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. Theres been a steep rise in gcse grades in england, wales and Northern Ireland pupils have been receiving them after a uk government u turn means marks are now based on teacher assessments. Meanwhile, chaos for hundreds of thousands of pupils as btec students are told they wont get their marks, just hours before they were due to be published. We are working very closely with ucas, with the independent regulator and the exam boards to make sure no young person is disadvantaged as a consequence of this delay. The russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is unconscious in hospital with suspected poisoning. The Anti Corruption campaigner fell ill during a flight. Kamala harris is formally nominated as joe bidens running mate in the us election. If the democrats win she would be the first woman Vice President in american history. Hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world 7 and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. In the most disruptive Academic Year in uk history, gcse pass rates for pupils in england have risen dramatically. The coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of this years exams, and, after a government u turn, grades were not adjusted by the exams regulator, and have instead been awarded by schools. Figures released in the past half hour show nearly 79 of papers have been awarded the gcse pass rate of grade 4 or above thats an increase of around 9 on last year. There has been a rise of a quarter in the top grades a 7 or above, which is equivalent to an a in the old system. The exams season has been dogged by chaos, with policy changes leading to grades being altered at the 11th hour. Btec grades were pulled last night, just hours before pupils were to receive them, after the exam board pearson said it was worried about unfairness following the governments decision to abandon an algorithm set by the exams regulator. Our education correspondent dan johnson is with teachers and pupils at a school in South East London for us this morning. The last few students are just getting their grades here this morning to stop gcse grades and btec results, the reality is the same stu d e nts results, the reality is the same students are getting grades for both and it would have been really difficult to withhold btec raid so those grades given out and there is a lot to celebrate for students this morning because the overall pass rate is up on last year significantly. Standardisation, moderation, the calculation of these grades was supposed to limit that sort of increase but the unfairness as that became apparent in the system, that led to the u turn, which is why they reverted to grades agreed by teachers, which is why there has been such an increase on last year. We can speak to some stu d e nts last year. We can speak to some students who have got results this morning was w have gcse and btec results, even though there are still a question over the btec. The btec, they say will come in next week, and they say will come in next week, and the results were actually really good. I didnt expect them to be that good so im pretty happy with what i got. You got the gcse is you needed to . Yeah, thats all i needed and im happy with that. What were you feeling ahead of this because of all the uncertainty and disruption to your learning this year . |j all the uncertainty and disruption to your learning this year . I was really stressed and nervous because when i found out they were downgrading everybody it hit me, this is bad. But when the news came out they would give everyone equal results i was quite happy about it and im happy with what i got now. You got what you needed to make your next move . Yes, i do, and im happy and excited to see whether future and excited to see whether future and sixth form and everything goes. What do you think of the roller coaster ride you have been on with so much disruption and changes to the system before grades have been agreed . Its been crazy very crazy. But at the end of the day i think it was worth it. With the pandemic, we couldnt control what happened during that, but i think everything happens for a reason that it was perfect, the way things were handled in school was really good. And congratulations and thank you for speaking to us. Jess got gcse results and btecs. Im absolutely over the moon. It couldnt have been better for me, very happy. Wow, and are you content they are reliable and fairgrades are you content they are reliable and fair grades after the controversy that has been . and fair grades after the controversy that has been . I think so. Controversy that has been . I think so. I was expecting that because i worked really hard for them. But im really happy. Did you have a stressful time . I was very stressed. It was all over the place. Yesterday it really hit me and my stomach was in knots. Yeah, i was very worried but im really happy now. And bringing your mum, heather, what you think of the system this year and the wait has been done and the anxiety that has been created again and again . I think there has been so much anxiety for these kids. They have been through so much and had so much to deal with. Jess was in hospital at the start of the year so she has almost been in lockdown longer than anyone else and she has done amazing, but she has worked so ha rd done amazing, but she has worked so hard for it. These kits have been through hell, really, and they didnt deserve it, it deserved to be an easier road to get the results that they deserve. So many late changes to the system. Do you think shows there was a lack of preparation here . Of course. Last night they said about the btecs. I dont think im getting them until next week. You have been given a grade this morning but it might not be the final one, so are you concerned about that . A little bit, but at the end of the day im not really bothered, with the grades ive got, its absolutely fine, good enough. What will you do questionably go to bexley grammar and study three studies at lower, three at higher, and also some standard. There are lots of student celebrating here because there is so much achievement on show. A lot of happy much achievement on show. A lot of ha p py fa ces much achievement on show. A lot of happy faces when they open those envelopes, stark contrast to what we saw a week ago when a level students we re saw a week ago when a level students were getting their results. Still questions over the btec results that may have been given out today, may have been withheld today, and the ones given out last week, they will be reviewed again to check students have done the vocational and technical courses and they are not ata technical courses and they are not at a compared to the students who have done make knot at a disadvantage compared to the stu d e nts disadvantage compared to the students who have got their a level and gcse results. The end result is that gcses are up 9 on last year. Was it really worth the heartache is one question that will be asked. John skurr is the headteacher at the University Academy keighley in yorkshire. Taking up the btec question first of all. How disruptive has that been to you and your students . Very disruptive. We have been planning since monday. There was a u turn earlier in the week and then we got everything in place ready for stu d e nts to everything in place ready for students to arrive today to get the results and then at quarter to five last night we got an e mail to withhold results. Its been a real challenging situations throughout and its something schools have co nsta ntly and its something schools have constantly had to work with throughout this whole process and ultimately our young people to the grades they are getting and its a co nsta nt grades they are getting and its a constant moving goalposts that has made it a really hard process for us. Made it a really hard process for us. Onto the grades they are getting, obviously they have worked ha rd getting, obviously they have worked hard in very difficult circumstances but you will appreciate that there will be others who perhaps graduated, did gcses last year, you may do them next year, who will say, this will be a strange year, we have seen a this will be a strange year, we have seen a surge this will be a strange year, we have seen a surge in this will be a strange year, we have seen a surge in passes this will be a strange year, we have seen a surge in passes and top grades. How is that consistent with grades. How is that consistent with grades across the year . Yes, it is a lwa ys grades across the year . Yes, it is always going to be a challenge. The situation we have found ourselves in due to the pandemic will always pose these questions. What we have to do is take this year in isolation and realise there would always be an increase, ultimately as teachers we re increase, ultimately as teachers were predicting grades, depending on examination the grade could change, questions could change, so a 9 increase to me seems fairly reasonable to suggest teacher predictions were fairly accurate to where we find ourselves at at the moment. Ultimately you will always believe in your students and if they are 85, 90 of the way to getting the grade then you will give them that additional bit extra because you know they have the potential to improve over the period of time of loss learning they have had. The increase is something that we would expect, 9 is reasonable in relation to the context of the situation and its something that will constantly pose questions but its something we have to move forward with now and allow young people to move forwards. Your young people today, are they confident . I hear what you say about the btec delays and the government say they want to get them out next week, but in general getting gcses out today and hoping for btecs next week, do you think they can get on with their lives effectively now and put all this behind them . with their lives effectively now and put all this behind them . I have a lot of happy young people outside looking forward to the next stages. We have our looking forward to the next stages. We have oui careers looking forward to the next stages. We have our careers team and pastoral tea m we have our careers team and Pastoral Team working with them to make sure they are clear on the next steps of their pathway and if they are not clear we will support them in the next few weeks to get them through those next steps. It is important as a school that you support the whole child and help them on theirjourney. For many of oui them on theirjourney. For many of our young people, they will be aware of how to make the right steps and we have to support them through that and thats what we are doing to stop currently i have a team outside dealing with students and helping them make sense of what the next steps a re them make sense of what the next steps are for their future education oi steps are for their future education or work pathways. Thats great for those who got that team out there, but give advice to viewers with us who might be 16 and undecided, confused, may have underperformed. Whats your advice to them . Ultimately there are always at chances. You can re sitcom you can go to different courses, you can do Foundation Courses to lead to other courses. Examinations should not be the only benchmark of success and there are many examples of people in society who do very well who dont a lwa ys society who do very well who dont always achieve in examination results. Its about getting support from colleges, connections, careers advisers, for those next steps so you can take the pathway you want and you have every chance to be successful. Thank you forjoining us and congratulations to all your students. Thank you. The kremlin critic and leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny is in a serious condition in a siberian hospital, where he was taken after becoming ill on a plane. His spokesperson says he has been poisoned, but doctors at the hospital say that is not certain. Mr navalny fell ill on a flight returning to moscow from the city of tomsk in siberia. The plane made an Emergency Landing in omsk when he became unwell. Sarah rainsford is in moscow. She has the latest on mr navalnys condition. The doctor in the hospital in omsk in siberia where he has been treated has confirmed he has been hospitalised there, that he is in intensive care and unconscious and ona intensive care and unconscious and on a ventilator. He has not confirmed that mr navalny has been poisoned. He said there are a number of theories being investigated, many tests are being done. Doctors are excluding, ruling out a diagnosis as they move along, but he said poisoning was one possibility being looked into by the team of doctors at that hospital. It is certainly the theory mr navalnys team have gone for. They believe he has been poisoned. In fact we spoke to kira yarmysh and she said he drank a cup of black tea this morning at the airport before getting on the plane and thats all he had had, she said, before he began to feel sick on board the plane. She says he came to her, he was sweating and feeling ill. He went to the back of the plane where he then collapsed. We have seen a video on social media filmed by a fellow passenger with medics heading down the aisle of the plane and you can hear groaning from the back of the plane which we believe this mr navalny, who was then taken off the plane. It made an Emergency Landing and is now in hospital. Why would anyone want to poison mr navalny, and the second pa rt poison mr navalny, and the second part of this question, is poisoning a Political Tool in russia . Part of this question, is poisoning a politicaltool in russia . Mr navalny is the most prominent face and voice of opposition, really, now, in russia today. He is extremely critical of the kremlin and his best known work, if you like, is in anti he makes videos going afterfigures very like, is in anti he makes videos going after figures very close to the kremlin and exposing what he says are their corrupt activities, properties they own, businesses they have been involved in. He is also very active in supporting opposition candidates for elections. He is currently, we understand, his team are currently trying to back opposition candidates to take on pro kremlin candidates at local elections around the country, so he is extremely active, although he is never allowed on to state television. The kremlin almost never even mentions his name but he is extreme the active on social media and has a big following across the country, so he is very much often described as a thorn in the side of the kremlin. And as such he is a prominent figure. Therefore there is serious concern about what may or may not have happened to him. He has complained in the past and claimed he has been poisoned. In fact when he has been poisoned. In fact when he was in Police Detention last summer he was in Police Detention last summerfor he was in Police Detention last summer for organising mass protests, he came out in a very heavy rash, his face was very swollen, and he believes that was an attempt to harm him. Although doctors at the time said it was a severe allergic reaction, he himself says he never has any allergies and doesnt have allergic reactions. Sarah rainsford. The headlines on bbc news. Theres been a steep rise in gcse grades in england, wales and Northern Ireland pupils have been receiving them after a uk government u turn means marks are now based on teacher assessments. Chaos for hundreds of thousands of pupils as btec students are told they wont get their marks, just hours before they were due to be published. The russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny is unconscious in hospital with suspected poisoning. The Anti Corruption campaigner fell ill during a flight. Lets get more now on the distruption for btec students in england, wales and Northern Ireland. Btecs are vocational qualifications. A decision was taken by exam board pearson on wednesday evening here in the uk to delay the publication of students results. Earlier we heard from our Political Correspondent, helen catt who explained the implications of that last minute delay. After that u turn on a levels and the u turn on gcses before the results came out today, the government might have thought it would be in for a slightly calmer day today but the last minute decision by exam board pearson to pull the btec results last night means that isnt the case. It was the exam boards decision to do that but it is a direct consequence of the earlier u turns on a levels and gcses and now that grades have been uplifted there, pearson felt it needed to bring btecs in line with that. Labour have called this repeated chaos, that it is unacceptable. Lib dems have called it a shambles. Questions continue to be asked to ministers of what they knew and when. In particular the schools minister, nick gibb, was asked about claims that a former director general of the department for education, john coles, had raised concerns with the education secretary last month. Were you warned six weeks ago there would be problems . John coles rang me, we had a conversation and i was concerned about the issues he was raising. What did you do . So i called a meeting with quual, the regulators, senior officials of the department, this was in mid july, and we went through the concernsjohn had. He felt the model as devised would disadvantage young people from poorer families. We discussed that in great detail and i was reassured it would not. In fact it turned out that it did not. For all the problems we encountered, it has not. The downgrade of the grade did not disproportionally affect young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Are you saying it did not disproportionally affect. Yes. But the grades inflation, according to the algorithm, was higherfor students who were in smaller classes, isnt that true . Yes, thats true. Because statistically, if you have a small cohort, and those small cohorts can be in the independent sector or the state sector, you. Under the model you rely more on the teacher assessed grades. Isnt that the opposite of what you just said . No, because it had a very small impact overall. What i was concerned about always, right from the beginning, at the forefront of my mind, was that the model should not disadvantage people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and that proved to be the case. Thats likely to be the focus of a lot of the scrutiny and nick gibb did expect to see enquiries into

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