IMMEDIATE RELEASE 15 July 2003

Examination reform:

Commenting on Mike Tomlinsons report onexamination reform, Doug McAvoy, NUT General Secretary, said:

Examination reform is a high riskbusiness. It can go badly wrong as the past has shown. The fact remains thatyoung people face a battery of examinations and tests. That must be reformed.

The principles Mike Tomlinson has outlinedare positive but the last thing young people and teachers need is imposed,under-financed and rushed change. MikeTomlinson is capable of achieving consensus on his proposals if he has thefinancial backing of Government and the understanding that you cannot haveinstant change.

The Government must learn from history.The debacle which ensued when the previous Government introduced the new GCSEexam must not be repeated. Pilots must be used to inform change. A wholesalemove to a new exam must not be imposed before even the books and technology areavailable to meet the new specifications.

There are six principles which must beadhered to. There must be:

• Agreement with the teaching profession that the new qualification is the right one.
• Proper, thorough piloting so that glitches can be ironed out.
• Appropriate funding.
• Proper training in the new exam for teachers.
• Existing syllabuses must not be discarded wholesale. There may be whole tranches which would require no adaptation for a new exam.
• A minimum 10 year lead in period for any new qualification.

E N D PR.54/03

For further information contact: Olive Forsythe tel: 020 7380 4706 (office) 020 8313 1692 (weekdayevenings) or if all else fails 07879 480061.