A Class of Yr 12 Students Just Had Their Marks Downgraded in a Nightmare Scenario

The worst kind of administrative error.

Every student's worst nightmare would probably be getting to the end of Year 12 and having the teacher tell them all their marks were actually recorded incorrectly and their B-average is actually a D-average.

Well, for a class of Queensland students, that nightmare has become a reality.

An English class at Bundamba State Secondary College in Ipswich has found out their marks have been downgraded after the school admitted to incorrectly marking their work for two years, since the beginning of Year 11.

It was found that the class' work hadn't been cross-marked, and once it was, their marks were reassessed and adjusted accordingly. (Cross-marking is the requirement to have at least two teachers mark a single work to ensure that consistency is maintained across the subject.)

"It occurred in this one class and our focus now is to make sure that none of these students is disadvantaged," QLD's Department of Education regional director, Mark Campling told the ABC. "The new principal at the school is making sure that the practices are in place, and that cross-marking does occur."

But the changes will be too late for the English class as they enter the final few weeks of their final exams.

One student's uncle, David Yohan, has complained to QLD's education minister, but claims he's received little response.

The Department of Education told the ABC that there is a letter with an offer to pay for a bridging course for Yohan's nephew on the way.

While the gesture will surely help Yohan's nephew out, I can't help but think that an error of this scale just shouldn't have happened in the first place.