Scottish exam results sent out early after text messaging error

Inquiry launched after 30,000 school students in Scotland who chose to receive grades by text find out results a day early Nearly 30,000 school students in Scotland have been sent their exam results a day early after a major blunder with an automated text messaging service. The Scottish Qualifications Authority confirmed on Wednesday that it believed every pupil who opted to receive their grades by text message rather than post or email had been sent them early. As many teenagers vented their anger at the error on Twitter and Facebook, the exams regulator said all the results were correct. It said it had launched an urgent inquiry with the company hired to send out the texts. An SQA spokesman said: “We’re aware that this is in any case a stressful time for candidates and their parents and families, and if we have added to their stress in any way, we apologise.” He said 29,863 of the 160,000 school students who sat final exams, including standard grades, highers and Scottish baccaulearates, had registered to get their results by text, with about 6,000 more opting for email notification. “I can confirm that it would appear that 29,000 candidates who had signed up for text results delivery and should have received their results at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning have been receiving them now,” he said. “They have received them in error and we’re carrying out an investigation with the external contractor who carries out this service for us.” Many of those students involved are about to apply for late university places, when the clearing process starts on Thursday, so in theory have a head start finding courses. The SQA said no one had been disadvantaged. “There has been an issue, no running away from that, with text delivery and we’re trying to bottom that out. But better to be delivered early rather than late I would suggest,” the spokesman said. There was an angry reaction, however, from many school pupils on Twitter. Some students said they had not received theirs by text, implying that they had signed up for the text message service. One, who uses the Twitter name Rawr_im_a_kitty, wrote: “SQA sent exam results to some people early by accident … SQA I HATE U!!! T.T they didn’t send me mine T.T no sleep for me tonight then …” Others were angry that they had been left waiting while friends had received their results. One, staywithsara, tweeted: “So pissed at the SQA. send out the bloody email cos it’s so freaking unfair for those who didn’t get results & friends have theirs!” Schools Children Scotland Severin Carrell guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 3, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.