04/10/2013 00:00
TW
0

by MONITOR
ED Balls, Minister for Children, Schools and Families, is often said to be the politician closest to Gordon Brown and during the Brown Chancellorship he was often the channel for hints on Treasury policy and the state of relations beween the Downing Street neighbours. Earlier this week he was in a little difficulty when an incautious phrase seemed to suggest that an early election is likely. But yesterday he made one of the most important policy statements at a Labour Party Conference that has been rather short of specific proposals.

He announced the abolition of the existing Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and the creation of a new, entirely independent, organisation to regulate standards of examinations. He said he hoped this will bring an end to the “old and stale debate about dumbing down”; there is perhaps an implication in that phrase that he thinks the debate has been unnecessary and misleading but not many people, especially parents, universities and employers, will think that. They will welcome an independent oversight of the quality of the tests that pupils face and the objective value of the GCSEs and A levels they obtain.

The QCA never escaped from the criticism that it kept one eye on the expectations of ministers and senior officials. Mr Ball's readiness to bring an independent element into the educational equation is very welcome indeed and further proof that the Brown administration's commitment to openness and transparency is genuine.