Unions welcome 'justice' for pupils

Unions say justice has been done for students

Teachers' unions welcomed the recommendations of an independent inquiry into allegations of A-level grade fixing that some papers be re-graded.

The head of the inquiry, Mike Tomlinson, said some students had been inaccurately graded and recommended certain A-level units be looked at again.

Mike Tomlinson says some units must be re-graded

Mr Tomlinson said he considered the chief executives of the exam boards felt they were "under pressure" to produce A-level results this year which were in line with the 2001 results - the last of the old A-levels.

But he said he had found no evidence of interference from government ministers and concluded that no-one had acted improperly.

The National Union of Teachers praised Mr Tomlinson for the speed with which he produced his report.

Restoring confidence

General secretary Doug McAvoy said: "The government must seek to do whatever is possible to repair the damage done to students as a result of the improper handling of their grades. That has to be the priority."

Justice has been done

Association of Teachers and Lecturers

"Public confidence in the examination system must be restored and the flaws found by Mike Tomlinson corrected.

Mr McAvoy's views were backed up by the Professional Association of Teachers.

"The government must act now to restore confidence in the A-Level system and to make sure such a horrendous situation does not happen again," said general secretary Jean Gemmell.

'Cock-up'

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the demands for an independent inquiry had been fully vindicated.

"There is clear evidence of a 'cock-up', rather than a conspiracy, between QCA and the boards," said Mr Hart.

The NAHT supports the sacking of QCA chairman Sir William Stubbs

"A number of students will achieve the justice that they would not have obtained if there had been no inquiry."

Mr Hart said the fiasco proved the need for a serious debate about whether there is a case for three examining bodies.

And he said the NAHT supported the sacking of Sir William Stubbs, saying the exam watchdog, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, bore a substantial part of the blame for this year's fiasco.

The Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, sacked Sir William on Friday afternoon, immediately after the publication of the Tomlinson report.

"We need an independent body under new leadership in order to restore confidence in the examination system," she said.

'Justice done'

Gwen Evans, deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said the whole saga could have been avoided with proper planning.

"Justice has been done. It's a pity it had to be done this way, but this is no surprise due to the pressure on the system.

"What should have been done is a proper trial on the AS and A2 aggregation method. Had they done this, much of the mayhem would have been avoided.

"We offer our sympathies to all the pupils whose grades were not right the first time."

Eamonn O'Kane, general secretary of the NASUWT also blamed the hasty introduction of the new A- and AS-levels.

Mr O'Kane said: "The inquiry findings confirm our prophecies of two years ago that the hasty introduction of AS-levels would result in what Mike Tomlinson described as 'an accident waiting to happen'."