Top Department for Education civil servant Jonathan Slater sacked over exams fiasco

The Department for Education's top civil servant is to "stand down" following this year's exam grades fiasco.

Permanent secretary Jonathan Slater will leave his post at the start of September after the “Prime Minister concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership” in the department.

The move comes after Boris Johnson sought to blame the A-level and GCSE results chaos on a “mutant algorithm”.

Mr Johnson acknowledged the stress caused by the situation which eventually resulted in a U-turn – with grades in England awarded based on teachers’ assessments rather than the Ofqual moderation process.

Jonathan Slater
Gov.uk

Announcing Mr Slater's planned departure, the DfE said in a statement: “Jonathan Slater has agreed that he will stand down on September 1, in advance of the end of his tenure in spring 2021.

“Susan Acland-Hood, currently interim second permanent secretary, will take over as acting permanent secretary.

"A permanent successor to replace Jonathan Slater will be appointed in the coming weeks.

“The cabinet secretary would like to put on record his thanks to Jonathan for 35 years of public service, culminating in over four years as permanent secretary of the Department for Education.”

A Level Results 2020 - In pictures

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In a statement on Tuesday the regulator said Ms Collier had decided “that the next stage of the awarding process would be better overseen by new leadership”.

She spearheaded the development of the flawed algorithm that downgraded nearly 40 per cent of A-level results.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson denied forcing her out of her post.

“No, this was a decision that Sally made, an incredibly dedicated and committed public servant, and in discussions with the Ofqual board, which, as you’re aware, is a non-ministerial government department,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“That was a decision between them.”

Mr Williamson indicated he had not considered resigning over the U-turn.

But Labour frontbencher Bill Esterson said “the buck stops” with the Education Secretary.

“First the head of the regulator Ofqual resigns over the exam fiasco, now the permanent secretary at the Department for Education,” he said.

“Why is the secretary of state still in post? Two scapegoats can’t save him.

“The buck stops with Williamson. Sooner or later, he has to go too.”

Labour has also accused the Prime Minister of trying to avoid taking responsibility for a “shambles” caused by his Government’s “incompetence”.

Addressing pupils at a school in Coalville, Leicestershire, on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said: "I’m afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm.

“I know how stressful that must have been for pupils up and down the country.

“I’m very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out.”

Boris Johnson mingled with pupils in Coalville on their first day back at school
Jack Hill/Pool/AP

Mr Johnson had previously claimed that the algorithm-based grades would be “robust” and “dependable”.

Shadow education secretary Kate Green said: “Boris Johnson is shamelessly trying to avoid taking responsibility for the exams fiasco that his government created.

“Responsibility for this shambles lies squarely with Downing Street and the Department for Education, who set out how they wanted the algorithm to work and were warned weeks in advance of issues, but repeatedly refused to address the problems they had created.

“It is this Tory government’s incompetence that is to blame for the exams fiasco.”

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “It is brazen of the Prime Minister to idly shrug away a disaster that his own Government created.

“Parents, students, teachers and heads will be horrified to see the leader of this country treat his own exams fiasco like some minor passing fad.

“The public will not easily forget the emotional rollercoaster of this year’s results season.

"It is certain to put a long-lasting dent in the Government’s reputation on education.”

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