EDUCATION unions accused the government today of “dereliction of duty” over its plans to make pupils who have missed up to five months of in-school teaching take GCSE and A-level exams next year.

With thousands of school pupils in self-isolation, university students locked down in halls of residence and many schoolteachers and children absent after testing positive for coronavirus, the government announced that next year’s school exams will be postponed for three weeks.

National Education Union joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “Today’s announcement amounts to a dereliction of duty by government to pupils, parents and education professionals.