25th January 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Examiners have apologised for comments suggesting that exam boards give teachers unfair advice, but have rejected claims that there needs to be an overhaul of the exam system in the UK. Reported on the BBC, a number of examiners were suspended recently after the Daily Telegraph published an article stating that examination boards give teachers inside information on exams. Steph Warren was recorded at an Edexcel seminar saying “you don’t have to teach a lot”, and Paul Evans who said that there was “cheating” has since stated that his use of this word was “inappropriate”.
Senior figures in the major exam boards have been quick to rebut the claims made by their staff. Mark Dawe, chief executive of the OCR board, claimed that our exam system was one of the most transparent in the world, and a spokesperson from WJEC insisted that exam boards are not chasing market share. The consensus was that the exam seminars were run at a loss and give fair advice to teachers, and that there is no evidence of an underlying problem with examinations in the UK.
Glenys Stacey, chief executive of Ofqual was not so quick to agree with the exam boards’ findings though, and said that the Telegraph’s investigation was “execellent”. She was not prepared to commit to any quick changes however, and said that there needs to be a period of reflection before taking any action. Teaching unions agreed with this sentiment, and said they teachers don’t want more sweeping changes to exams in the UK, since they have only just got to grips with the last reforms.