91热爆

Exam fever

• Laura Kuenssberg
• 9 Aug 07, 04:22 PM

A-level students around the country have probably almost chewed their fingernails down to the quick by now. Their results are due next week. But today there is chatter round Westminster today that raises the prospect of more change in the exam system.

Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former chief inspector of schools, back in October 2004, that academic and vocational qualifications be united in a single diploma, more like the International Baccalaureate. That would have included scrapping the 'gold standard' A-level.

But his idea was shelved - he believes, in part because ministers were afraid of the political consequences of getting rid of exams. Today though, he sounded a note of optimism for his reforms, citing a change in mood and a 'willingness' in government circles to revisit the idea of one overall qualification for teenagers.

After announcing a , and looking again at , can we detect a sniff of another potential Brown u-turn? Estelle Morris the former education secretary gives weight to the idea, saying that Gordon Brown will look at the issue.

The part of Sir Mike's reforms which did survive, the vocational diploma, is due to be introduced next year across England. Academics have some doubts about the qualifications, but the plan is they will count towards university entrance. They'll cover subjects like construction, engineering, and IT. But could it be that once the diplomas are up and running, academic subjects in the shape of A-levels, are incorporated too?

The schools department tells me categorically there are no plans to get rid of 'the gold standard' A-level as they call it. But they make it clear that ministers are determined to end the divide between academic and vocational education. So it's not a bad bet that ministers will consider eventually bringing A-levels into the diploma system. Without being seen to scrap the decades old exam, that would bring academic and vocational education together.

So no u-turn yet, but a hint of what could be seen in future as a rather neat solution. Watch this space.

• Permalink
• Comments

Turning up the volume

• Laura Kuenssberg
• 9 Aug 07, 04:15 PM

The eagle-eyed Sun readers among you may have spotted a reference to me and my colleage from Sky News in the paper's Westminster column, The Whip, this morning. John Craig is congratulated for being heard on the 91热爆 microphone I was using in Downing Street reporting for the Ten O'Clock News, while he was on air for Sky at the same time.

Of course security outside No 10 is very tight, so there is limited space for us to set up our cameras. So, as often happens, on Tuesday night our two camera crews and sound men were set up cosily right next to each other.

Us humble correspondents do speak at different volumes and despite the wonders of modern sound technology, and the fact that I am no whisperer, 91热爆 viewers may well have been able also to hear John talking to Sky viewers in the background.

• Permalink
• Comments