OxBowBusiness

A letter to the Secretary of State for Education

Here is the text of a letter I have just sent to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, copied to my MP, Dr Evan Harris. I will keep you informed of any progress.

The Commercialisation of GCSE and A Level Examination Boards

This is a matter that has been of great concern to me for a long time now and despite the attempts of others I see that little progress has been made on the subject. I now feel that the matter has got out of hand and I would like you to intervene to correct the problem.

You may be aware that GCSE and A Level Chief Examiners and their assistants, certainly in the areas of Business Studies, Economics and Accounting, are not only carrying out their duties as examiners but also writing text books in their chosen subjects and offering and presenting revision courses for financial gain.

I see nothing but potential problems stemming from this situation and would like to point out that I believe these examination boards may be unique in allowing for the potential conflicts of interest and unprofessionalism that may arise. I know that, for example, the professional accountancy bodies (ICAEW, ACCA and so on) do not allow their examiners to engage in such activities.

A chief examiner for business studies at the AQA Board of several years standing spearheaded the commercialisation of the board as far as his work was concerned. His books became the “must buy” for teachers and students alike since they felt that if the examiner had written the book, it must be the most relevant book there is. Well, of course that could be true; but I maintain that a chief examiner must not be allowed to abuse the privilege of his position by such blatant commercialisation for personal gain.

That same gentlemen, coincidentally or not, has recently joined the Edexcel Board as chief examiner for business studies and even a passing glance at the Edexcel web site will reveal that he is about to reap further reward from that board now.

Similarly, many examiners offer and run revision courses for candidates of the examinations for which they are the examiner. When I first heard that this was happening I did not believe it. I was assured that it was true and that it is true. I am aghast that examiners are not only allowed to interact directly in such a way with their candidates but that they are allowed to do so for personal gain. I find this extraordinary and I simply cannot subscribe to the view that it is good for examiners to deal directly with their clients in this way.

I recently discussed this matter with two colleagues from university and business in the United States and they were equally aghast. It’s not an exaggeration to say that they were speechless!

What I would like you to do is to outlaw such interaction between candidates and their examiner behind closed doors and for personal financial reward. Even if the examiner is cleaner than clean, I know of anecdotal evidence where an examiner is reported to have told candidates not to bother revising topic ‘x’ since it’s not in the exam. Examiners themselves need to be protected from such accusations let alone gain financially from them!

I would also like you to review the publications policy of our examination boards since I find it reprehensible that someone can be appointed as the guardian of standards and yet ex officio become appointed the author of the book that will become de facto the set text. Let the Board commission the writing of text books for their own board and its syllabus but let it be done behind the veil of the corporate façade and not at the hand of the examiner. Again, the accountancy boards are instructive in this respect: they recommend texts relevant to their examinations that others have written but do not write them themselves.

Given that there is an ongoing debate on A levels and their standards, I think that clearing up this matter is vital and it is a matter of urgency. I respectfully ask you to resolves these issues and I have copied this letter to my MP, Dr Evan Harris, since I would like to think that he is also sympathetic to this matter.

Yours sincerely






Duncan Williamson

Letter written and sent on 17th April 2006

posted by Duncan Williamson @ 7:51 AM