Students' hopes dashed after marking error at Enfield College (From Enfield Independent)

Students' hopes dashed after marking error at Enfield College

5:00pm Tuesday 8th September 2009

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A STUDENT from Enfield College who was offered a place at one of the country’s leading universities has had his hopes dashed because his college misunderstood the marking system.

IT whiz George Christou, 19, of Arnold Avenue West, Enfield Lock, was told he had achieved his predicted top grades of a triple distinction in a BTEC in Information Communications Technology by the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, formerly known as Enfield College.

So he was surprised to have his conditional place at King’s College London, ranked the 12th best university in the country according to the Times, withdrawn on August 20.

Exam board Edexcel said the error was a misunderstanding by the college on how the modules should be marked.

Correct marking should see marks from core modules and the best marks from the optional modules going together to make the student’s final grade, but a spokeswoman said the college had taken the students best marks and missed out the students core modules marks in some cases.

The college says it is currently investigating the debacle, which is believed to have affected about ten students.

Mr Christou, who is now considering accepting a place from the 66th best university in the country, Hertfordshire, said: “It took me quite a long time to find out what was going on. I’ve spoken to about four or five different teachers. I have made so many different phone calls, spoken to different teachers at the college, at King’s and Edexcel just pass me through four or five different departments. When I tried to give King’s an awards certificate with my grades on they said it was unofficial. It is going to affect me the most and I am just fed up with it. There is nothing I can really do.”

Disgusted student Crystal Saunders, 19, who also did the course, said: “The college are saying its is Edexcel’s fault but they don’t have a clue what to do.”

Demetri Polycarpou, 18, of St Peter’s Road, Edmonton, added: “It’s just worth telling everyone starting now there is no point in wasting two years of their life getting a mark they don’t want. With the mark we have we could have left college two months earlier but we all stayed on so that we could improve our grades.”

An Edexcel spokeswoman said: "It is not possible to exclude the compulsory core units, even if they are not the learner's best marks and neither is it possible to count more than the required number of units towards the overall grade."

“We have spoken with the college concerned and are happy to give them any guidance they might require."

Vice Principal Curriculum and Learner Experience at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, Jane O’Neill: “We are currently investigating the case and will do everything in our power to resolve any outstanding issues about grades.”

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