I've been saying for months and months, as both a teacher and a journalist, that it is obvious that 2021 exams in Scotland need to be cancelled. Here's why...

The reason is simple: there is no conceivable way for exams to be fair.

Even leaving aside the huge problems with them, they operate on the assumption that everyone gets the same amount of teaching and sits the same exam under the same circumstances, making grades valid.

But...

This year everyone will not have the same amount of teaching. We're not even half-way through November and there has already been huge disruption to some kids' education due to COVID outbreaks. I've heard of some having to isolate 3 times already.

But it's fine because those kids are still learning at home, right? Don't be ridiculous.

Teachers can't run physical classes and run online classes at the same time. They're amazing, but they're not wizards.

And would *you* be learning if you or a family member had COVID?

Now, remember to factor in another issue with this: different things are being disrupted for different students depending on their school, because courses aren't taught in standardised, uniforms ways across the country (nor should they be).

And even when students are in school, anyone who thinks they're getting a normal education is delusional. Nothing about school life is "normal" right now and this has an inevitable impact on both young people and their (increasingly exhausted) teachers.

And, just in case you've forgotten...

WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH NOVEMBER.

Exams simply cannot go ahead fairly, so the people demanding that they continue no matter what aren't fighting for kids and their futures - they're just using kids for a political fight (or to make themselves feel important).

But that doesn't mean we should just expand the plans for National 5 to Higher and Advanced Higher, because they're not much better.

John Swinney may have announced there would be no Nat5 exams but the instructions issued by the SQA effectively require schools to run the exams themselves...and then mark them for free. They're even going to send out a 2021 exam paper for this purpose.

So neither current plan offers a good solution, and we are barrelling towards another absolutely nightmare as we limp into 2021.

And a big part of the reason is this: Scottish education has no competent national leadership from either govt or the SQA.

Everything about this situation was known well before tbe summer holidays, so this is no excuse whatsoever for these endless failures from those in charge.