Record-keeping in our schools is horribly out of date. Paper files are still stored in dusty old cabinets, creating needless admin work for teachers and support staff and wasting public resources.
Like many of you, I took my exams when the internet was still relatively new and long before smartphones meant you could access information at the tap of a screen.
That simply isn’t true for the cohort of young people sitting their exams this summer. Likewise, the employers or universities they are going on to for work, apprenticeships or further study are used to working with digital systems.
That’s why I’m excited to announce the introduction of a new exam results app, which will capture qualifications and learning history all in one place - delivering our Plan for Change mission to modernise the public sector.
GCSE results by app
For young people, this means a radical shift in how they receive their exam results, as well as convenient access to exam certificates and qualifications at the touch of a button at any stage of their working life.
Under a pilot scheme this summer in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands Combined Authority area, thousands of young people will use the app to receive their GCSE exam results - a pioneering first step for education in England.
The new system will also boost economic growth by helping young people to apply for jobs and apprenticeships and to progress in higher education.
Young people are the future of our economy, and putting their education records at their fingertips breaks down barriers to opportunity, making it easier for them to chart their future careers and get the skills they need, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.
Cutting school staff workload
And it’s not just those young people who will benefit. Our new system will reduce the amount of admin work that teachers and other school staff have to do and cut costs: it is estimated that it will save the education system £30 million per year.
That’s money that can be reinvested in staff, buildings and facilities. It’s also staff time saved, meaning that time can be more usefully committed elsewhere.
From modernising education records to embracing emerging technologies such as AI, we are determined to harness the potential of tech in education to enable teachers, leaders and admin staff to focus on what they do best: teaching and inspiring the next generation.
Stephen Morgan is parliamentary under-secretary of state for education and the MP for Portsmouth South
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