7th June 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The new government has confirmed that they are to scrap the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency, the QCDA. In a report on the BBC website it’s claimed that the education secretary, Michael Gove, has written a letter to the chairman of the QCDA to explain the changes, and how quickly they will occur, in accordance with the Conservatives’ pledge before the election.
The QCDA will be asked to continue their work on exam administration, and national tests until it can be properly transferred. However, their work on qualifications and curriculum will stop in line with an £8m cut in their budget.
In his letter, Michael Gove said: “While the QCDA as an organisation does not have a place in the education system of the future, I know that the agency has many dedicated public servants who are committed to improving the quality of education. In other areas - notably qualifications development and the curriculum - I would want QCDA to withdraw as soon and as far as is practicable, and continue with activities only where it is necessary in order to comply with a statutory duty or where I am clear that not to do so would jeopardise the interests of learners.”
The QCDA was created by the Labour government, as was Ofsted, which remains in place to regulate qualifications in the UK.