A growing fiasco in England over Sats markers intensified this week after it emerged that some examiners are so bad that they should be struck off. The comments, made by sources close to The TES, will intensify pressure on ETS Europe, the not-for-profit company that is running national test marking for the first time this year.
Last week we revealed that hundreds of examiners had complained about the company’s organisation.
But one marker, who cannot be identified, said: “The lack of quality control worries me, even more than the awful admin.”
Markers are vetted through an on-screen “standardisation”.
A software problem last week meant almost all those vetted for key stage 3 English failed. The glitch was fixed after several days. But markers said the system had now gone to the other extreme.
One team leader said everyone he knew who had taken the KS3 maths standardisation test had passed. One marker had been out by more than 70 marks.
Markers have continued to bombard The TES online staffroom this week with complaints.
Letters, page 30.
