Gove bites back in exams row

‘It’s a pity that a party that once led on education reform is now clambering on a bandwagon.’ Michael Gove bit back at Labour MPs calling for a remark of the GCSE English paper this afternoon when he answered questions on his department’s work.

The Education Secretary was at pains to point out that he, like his predecessor Ed Balls, did not want to ‘second guess’ the actions of the exams regulator Ofqual. He added that Labour seemed to be suggesting ‘having ministers marking papers’, which would undermine the reason Ofqual was set up.

He also used the session to confirm to Parliament that the coalition (and he placed a particular emphasis on the word ‘coalition’) would shortly announce its plans for reform of GCSEs. He pointed out that the problem with the English GCSE exams was symptomatic of a wider problem with the exams.