2 letters on teacher assessment (March and April)

Gaby Hinsliff's excellent article on the long term effects of the current crisis makes a pertinent point about examinations (The coronavirus crisis will pass, but life may never be "normal" again, 13/04/20). "Squeezing thousands of children into exam halls", especially with probably hundreds of them feeling below par but determined nevertheless to get those all-important grades, makes no sense, so why not award GCSE grades this year based on teacher assessment? As the examination boards will have already appointed their examiners and allocated their schools, teachers could be required to send them two examples of pupils' work, perhaps mock exam or test papers which have been already marked, along with a brief comment to justify the grade suggested. The examiners' job then would be to verify in most cases, and query in a few, the subject teachers' assessment. This would provide teachers with a unique opportunity to display their expertise and professionalism, and act as an experiment in assessment without causing the stress and mental health problems associated with our current examination system. The criteria for awarding the qualifications which would have previously depended on end-of-course examinations do indeed, as your editorial makes clear, "need to be carefully thought through", but obstacles will only arise if insufficient faith is placed in the teachers` professionalism (The closure of schools is the latest step in the long march to lockdown Britain, 19/03/20). Why not award GCSE and A-level grades this year based on teacher assessment? As the examination boards will have already appointed their examiners and allocated them schools, teachers could be required to send them two or three examples of pupils' work, perhaps mock exams or other work done under test conditions, which have been already marked, along with a brief comment to justify the grade suggested. The examiners' job then would be to verify in most cases, and query in a few, the accuracy of the subject teachers' assessment. Many politicians appear to believe that examining and assessing pupils` progress continually throughout the examination courses only happens in private schools! There should be plenty of evidence available in all schools to ensure that pupils get the grade they deserve, and if some haven`t yet proved their ability, having arrogantly wasted five terms, hoping to catch up at the end, then so be it! This system would provide teachers with an excellent opportunity to display their expertise and professionalism, and act as an experiment for future assessment which would no longer cause the stress and mental health problems associated with our current examination system.