An exam board accused of downgrading this year's A level results has admitted to artificially lowering the grades of brighter pupils.

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Gwen Evans, deputy secretary general for ATL, told ePolitix.com: "We must all be clear, Curriculum 2000 is a new system. There was always going to be a huge challenge to ensure full parity of standards in 2002 as the guinea pig generation reached the end of their A level courses.

"There is a statutory Code of Conduct to which all awarding bodies must conform which requires grade boundaries to be set using both professional judgement and statistical evidence. Given that the statistical evidence for A levels was based on the old system, it is hardly surprising that these difficulties are emerging.

"Ultimately the government must do what it has so far failed to do which is own up to having rushed the new system through without sufficient trialling. In the last analysis, government impatience threatened the futures of the guinea pig generation. That there has been as few mistakes as there has been is due to the sheer hard work of teachers and to the superhuman efforts of the awarding bodies.

"Mistakes do happen and will go on happening. This episode should warn the government of how overloaded the assessment system has become, something they are still choosing to ignore even now."

Forum Response: Universities UK

A spokeswoman for Universities UK told ePolitix.com: "We do not yet know the extent of the problem and await to hear the outcome of the QCA investigation and the announcement by the Secretary of State. Universities are obviously very concerned about the potential impact on students and will look to be as flexible and helpful as possible. However, they are constrained in their actions by the nature of their funding and the limitations on the teaching and accommodation facilities available."

Forum response: Professional Association of Teachers

Jean Gemmell, general secretary for PAT, told ePolitix.com: "Exams are already stressful - not only for the pupils, but also for their parents and teachers - and students are expected to perform to the best of their abilities. It is therefore appalling that there have been so many questions raised to shake confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the system, when we should expect the highest standards.

"Nothing can be more soul-destroying for a student who has worked hard than the suggestion that their grades may have been tampered with in such an unjustified, arbitrary and artificial way.

"There must be a full enquiry and appropriate action must be taken - including the removal of exam boards' licences if necessary. Confidence in the exam boards is essential and must be restored and maintained."