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| Gove orders probe into examiners' 'tips to teachers' | Gove orders probe into examiners' 'tips to teachers' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Education Secretary Michael Gove has ordered a probe into claims that some examiners gave teachers unfair advice on upcoming GCSE and A-Level questions. | |
| href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/8940781/Exam-boards-how-examiners-tip-off-teachers-to-help-students-pass.html" >The Daily Telegraph says it has recorded an examiner telling teachers which questions their pupils could expect. | |
| Mr Gove said the claims "confirm that the current system is discredited." | Mr Gove said the claims "confirm that the current system is discredited." |
| The Telegraph says the boards involved have promised to investigate whether individual examiners broke the rules. | |
| The exam regulator Ofqual said exams must be run in a way that was "fair and open to all" | The exam regulator Ofqual said exams must be run in a way that was "fair and open to all" |
| In an article to be published on Thursday, the newspaper says it has secretly filmed a chief examiner telling teachers, who have paid up to £200-a-day, which questions their pupils could expect in upcoming exams. | |
| It says the advice appeared to go far beyond the standard "guidance". | |
| The newspaper says its undercover reporters went to 13 meetings organised by exam boards used by English schools. | |
| It alleges that teachers, who paid up to £200 a day to attend, were "routinely" given information about future exams, including questions, syllabus areas to focus on and even the specific words or facts students must use to win marks. | |
| It quotes a named examiner at a seminar on GCSE history as telling teachers that a compulsory question in the exam "goes through a cycle". He gives the subjects for the upcoming exam, adding: "We're cheating, we're telling you the cycle." | |
| When told that this information was not in the course specification, the examiner said: "No, because we're not allowed to tell you," according to the paper. | |
| The Telegraph says the exam boards involved have promised to investigate whether any individual examiners broke the rules. | |
| Mr Gove said he had asked the new chief executive of Ofqual, Glenys Stacey, to investigate and report back within two weeks. | |
| "The revelations confirm that the current system is discredited," he said. | "The revelations confirm that the current system is discredited," he said. |
| "As I have always maintained, it is crucial our exams hold their own with the best in the world. We will take whatever action is necessary to restore faith in our exam system. Nothing is off the table." | "As I have always maintained, it is crucial our exams hold their own with the best in the world. We will take whatever action is necessary to restore faith in our exam system. Nothing is off the table." |
| A spokesman for Ofqual said the issue was "of significant interest". | |
| He said: "Exams must be run in a way that is fair and open to all candidates. | |
| "We have introduced new regulations to tighten up the requirements awarding organisations must meet to make sure their commercial activities do not impact on the standards and integrity of qualifications. | |
| "Failure to meet these standards will result in regulatory action. | |
| "We therefore welcome the information gathered by the Telegraph and will be interested to study the evidence. " | "We therefore welcome the information gathered by the Telegraph and will be interested to study the evidence. " |