Chichester MP explains decision to go abroad on holiday during exam season

Gilllian Keegan is one of three Parliamentary under secretary of states in the Department for Education, with her responsibilities including apprenticeships, technical qualifications and skills.

After serving as the department’s duty minister for the first ten days of summer recess, she was given permission to go on holiday and travelled to France with her family in early August.

After posting several photos of her holiday on social media site Instagram, she faced criticism in the national press for being abroad while the exam crisis unfolded.

A level and GSCE students in England have now been given grades estimated by their teachers rather than by an algorithm.

Speaking to the Observer, Mrs Keegan explained that she took her work laptop with her and was logging on every day to speak to her department colleagues.

She is not the minister responsible for GSCEs or A levels, but instead deals with BTecs and technical qualifications.

These are largely modular with only a small percentage calculated using an algorithm.

Mrs Keegan explained that once the A levels were issued and ‘it turned out the algorithm was not fit for purpose’ it was decided to delay BTec results to ensure no students were ‘downgraded unfairly’.

She set up a taskforce on the issue and joined daily calls to monitor progress.

Results have started going out and it is hoped they will all be received by Friday.

Mrs Keegan said: “I was right on top of it all.”

Whilst on holiday she spoke to a number of colleges, including Chichester College, the chair of the education select committee and her opposite number in Labour.

She has also been working closely with UCAS and colleges to make sure places are kept open for those waiting for BTec results, although the majority of university places have already been confirmed.

She added: “I’m all over my bit in great detail.”

The MP is now back at home quarantining. When the measure was announced they did look at getting back to the UK before the deadline, but Eurostar said they would have no chance of getting tickets.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.