Future of A-levels in spotlight

Nearly 2,000 candidates had their results altered

The future of A-levels will come under scrutiny on Monday, as exam boards are quizzed over this year's grading fiasco.

MPs sitting on the education select committee will be taking evidence from the bosses of the three exam boards in England - Edexcel, the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) and the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance - as part of their inquiry into the role of the government's exams watchdog, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

The committee of MPs is likely to focus attention on OCR chief executive Dr Ron McLone, who made many late changes to A and AS-level grade boundaries resulting in allegations by head teachers that some papers had been downgraded.

A review by the QCA cleared OCR and the other boards of any wrongdoing, but the then Secretary of State for Education, Estelle Morris, ordered an independent inquiry chaired by former chief schools inspector, Mike Tomlinson.

As a result of Mr Tomlinson's review, 733 entries at AS-level and 1,220 at A-level - all from the OCR board - were upgraded.

And 168 students were eligible to take up missed university places.

But the whole affair seriously damaged the confidence of students, teachers and parents in the A-level system.

Radical reform

The chief executive of Edexcel, John Kerr, is reported as saying an overhaul of the system is necessary to restore public confidence in A-levels.

"I believe the new A-level system is fundamentally sound," Mr Kerr told the Times newspaper.

"But there is clearly confusion about the reforms in the public mind and we need to work to improve it."

Mr Kerr said the new A2 and AS-level exams which came in under Curriculum 2000 were very different from the old A-levels.

Comparing pass rates between the two systems was not possible, he said.

Mr Kerr said he believed the A2 should become a qualification in its own right, with pupils taking exams after two years of study.

And the AS-level, which is currently worth half and A-level, should be reduced to just 40% to reflect the fact they are taken after just one year of study.