ATL COMMENT ON QCA’s REPORTS INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF AWARDING BODIES AND VIEWS ABOUT GCSEs AND A-LEVELS

12 February 2008

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“The English exam system is one of the most professional in the world, but we are becoming increasingly concerned about standards of marking.  Maybe the whole machine has got too big, maybe the pressure on results is now too great.

“It's time to rethink assessment along with the national curriculum, and give a bigger say to the teachers.

“Research shows that with the right training teacher assessment can be at least as accurate as these hugely expensive exams.”