Reduce curriculum content for year 10 & 12 students who will sit exams in 2021.
148,388 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 1 June 2020; it closed on 1 December 2020. The Government responded on 30 July 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 12 October 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Reduce curriculum content for year 10 & 12 students who will sit exams in 2021.
A significant number of students will sit their final 2021 examinations. The outcome of which undoubtedly will be their passport, for many of their future life chances and successes. In order for this to be done fairly, it is imperative that the amount of content they are tested on is reduced.
As an educator myself, I understand the huge benefits of face to face teaching and the positive impact this has on a child’s educational success. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing unprecedented situation, classroom based learning has not been possible. A significant amount of teaching and learning time has been lost (ongoing). This cannot effectively be compensated for by provided remote learning activities.By reducing the content, students will have the opportunity to sit their exams equitably.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 30 July 2020; the petitions site lists the Department for Education as responsible. Its summary:
All students, including current Year 10s and 12s, will have experienced disruption to their education this year. Ofqual is consulting on measures to mitigate this through changes to next year’s exams.
The opening 276 words of the 646-word response:
We recognise that Year 10 and 12 students due to take exams next year, and their parents, carers and teachers, are concerned about the disruption to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The government is determined to do everything possible to ensure that no student is prevented from fulfilling their potential due to the pandemic.
We are planning on the basis that exams will go ahead in 2021 and have been working closely with Ofqual, the exam boards and groups representing teachers, schools, colleges and students to consider our approach to exams and other assessments next year. On 2 July, Ofqual published consultation proposals on a range of possible measures, with the overriding aim of ensuring that exams and assessments are as fair as possible. In particular, the consultation proposes a range of changes to exams and assessments next year to free up additional time for teaching, in light of the disruption experienced by teachers and students this year. This includes seeking views on a short delay to the exams timetable in 2021, and proposed adaptations in a number of subjects, for example, removing the requirement to record the spoken language assessment in GCSE English language, and allowing GCSE students to observe, rather than undertake, practical science work.
As with this year, the most important principle is that students due to sit exams and assessments in the next academic year should be enabled to progress successfully to the next stage of education or employment. Each of the elements of content that forms the foundation for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications is important, and therefore the government does not propose to change this content for 2021.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 806, came from Ilford South.
147,990 of the signatures were from the UK and 398 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Ilford South | 806 |
| Slough | 728 |
| Poplar and Limehouse | 650 |
| Ilford North | 638 |
| Bradford West | 637 |
| South East Cambridgeshire | 608 |
| Epsom and Ewell | 584 |
| Windsor | 580 |
| Altrincham and Sale West | 575 |
| Feltham and Heston | 571 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 25,081 |
| South East | 22,498 |
| North West | 19,618 |
| East of England | 16,569 |
| West Midlands | 14,483 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 14,162 |
| East Midlands | 11,241 |
| South West | 10,138 |
| North East | 7,832 |
| Wales | 2,351 |
| Scotland | 371 |
| Northern Ireland | 329 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 12 October 2020. Read the debate in Hansard.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/320772.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
c1697216681042a1… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.