EDUCATION bosses have been asked to publish BTec results 'quickly' .

Cllr Darren Paffey, cabinet member for children and learning at Southampton City Council, said it is “unfair” that BTec students have been treated “differently”.

The news comes as on Wednesday night Pearson - the exam board for BTecs - pulled its results which were expected to be released yesterday along with GCSE results. BTecs are vocational qualifications and they can be studied at a number of levels - including GCSE level (for those aged 16) and A-level (for 18-year-olds).

The board said the results will be regraded in the same way A-levels and GCSEs have been, which are now being graded via school-based assessments. It said it will be regrading BTECs to address "concerns about unfairness" and ensure no student is disadvantaged.

The government said no student will see their result downgraded.

But Cllr Paffey said: "Students taking BTecs have been working every bit as hard as those taking other qualifications, so I think it’s unfair to treat them differently. In the middle of all the uncertainty around grades, BTec students have been preparing for results day, and have now been told they won’t get them. It’s right that the exam boards take another look to ensure students are graded properly, and those results should be confirmed and released quickly so that students can plan their next steps too. I’d encourage any Southampton student affected by this to get in touch with their college and check our Access Southampton website for support and guidance.”

In a statement Pearson said: "We know this could cause additional uncertainty for students and we are sorry about this. Our priority is to ensure fair outcomes for BTEC students and we will work around the clock to provide revised grades as soon as we can.”

A DfE spokesperson added: "We know this delay to Btec results will be disappointing for students and understand their frustration. The relevant awarding organisations have assured us that students will receive their results as soon as possible."