Exam chief warns of new A-level crisis this summer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The head of the Government's exams watchdog said yesterday he could not guarantee the safe running of this summer's A-level, AS-level and GCSE examinations.
Dr Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, told a London conference on public policy that the country's exam system was "Dickensian" and "not sustainable".
"We have a 21st-century internationally celebrated qualification – the A-level – underpinned by an antiquated delivery system in which teachers moonlight as markers and 24 million scripts move about the country at the whim of the Post Office," he said.
Many teachers were pulling out of marking becauset of the fiasco over last summer's exams, he added.
"If we succeed in delivering the 2003 summer examinations smoothly, it will be by good management rather than by luck and by a hair's breadth," Dr Boston said. "The system is at breaking point. It needs radical reform."
Dr Boston was recruited from Australia last summer to oversee the examination system after complaints about shortages of markers, scripts being lost and errors in examination papers. Within a week of his arrival, the exam system was hit by the marking debacle.
Dr Boston said that, because of a new code of conduct for marking this summer's exams, he was confident that would not happen again. But he warned ministers there could be "an episode of another type in 2003".
Many teachers and experienced examiners were jaundiced by what happened, he said. Yet exam boards needed to recruit 50,000 people to mark the 17.5 million entries expected this year.
"I cannot assure you at the moment, with the degree of confidence that I would like, that the smooth delivery of examinations is assured," he said.
He called for the setting up of examination centres and for greater use of electronic marking to avoid the danger of scripts being lost in the post.
In addition, he backed a recommendation from Mike Tomlinson, the former chief schools inspector who headed an inquiry into A-levels, that examining and marking should be "professionalised" – with experienced teachers trained to mark as part of their job.
"All of this will cost new money," he said, "but none of it requires new technology."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments