APPENDIX
Letter from Sir William Stubbs to the
Clerk of the Committee (QCA 36)
QUALIFICATIONS AND
CURRICULUM AUTHORITY
Your office kindly sent at my request a copy
of the memorandum from the Department for Education and Skills
submitted to the Select Committee following my evidence to the
Committee (QCA 31)[1]
I am concerned that the Department, in seeking
to discredit my evidence to the Committee, is misleading the Committee
into believing that I supported the setting up of the Tomlinson
Inquiry. To this end they have quoted selected sentences from
a letter I wrote on 19 September to the Secretary of State.
To assist the Committee, I enclose a copy of
my entire letter to the Secretary of State from which the department
has quoted. From this it can be seen quite clearly that my support
was confined to an independent inquiry into the allegations made
by the headteachers organisations that the QCA had intervened
to direct the A level awarding bodies to change marks and grades.
At no time did I lend support to the type of wide-ranging inquiry
that was commissioned. I maintained before the Committee that
no evidence had been forthcoming to merit such an enquiry and
that the Department panicked in bringing it into existence. I
was of that view then and have remained so since.
I should be grateful if you would bring this
letter to the attention of the Committee.
4 December 2002
Annex
Letter from Sir William Stubbs to the
Rt Hon Estelle Morris MP
A LEVEL RESULTS
Last night the GSA, HMC and SHA alleged that
the QCA intervened to direct A level awarding bodies to change
marks and grades in certain unspecified A level subjects. As you
know the position of the QCA has consistently been to translate
into practice the Government's policy that A level standards should
be maintained over time. We have put the A level boards in no
doubt about this matter. The prominence given to the HMC allegations
in this morning's press and media must inevitably cast doubt about
the integrity of the QCA's actions. This is a matter, which concerns
me. I am therefore asking you as a matter of urgency to appoint
an independent inquiry into these allegations by HMC.
Separately we are continuing with the inquiry
that you instigated on Monday and we expect to have the preliminary
findings with you later today.
19 September 2002
1 See Ev 140-1. Back
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