Industry News
Private school expert welcomes QCA move
Posted on 23rd November 2007
News of a government drive to ensure exam questions are challenging has been welcomed by a leading authority on private schools.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is to adopt a more hands-on approach to GCSE and A-level papers to ensure the questions are hard enough, the Times Educational Supplement (TES) has reported.
Geoff Lucas, general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, which represents the heads of around 250 leading independent schools, told the TES this is a positive step.
He said it could result in "better questions, better examinations and better teaching and learning".
Earlier this year, the secretary of state for children, schools and families Ed Balls announced his department will create an independent regulator of qualifications and tests.
It will be responsible for ensuring high standards, regulating the awarding bodies and monitoring testing standards.
Mr Balls said that the QCA has shown a "robust independence" but acknowledged that it could be hard for it to prove its autonomy.
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