Cheating Examiners: letter to the BBC

Message to the You and Yours Programme, BBC Radio 4 in response to an article and interviews they have just broadcast

The programme spoke to

Dr Jim Sinclair, Director of JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications)
Francis Thomas of Ofqual

The interviewer was Julian Worricker

Dear Sirs,

I have been campaigning for many years against the abuses in the examinations system that the Daily Telegraph highlighted last week. I have just sent a letter to the Education Select Committee for their meeting on Thursday. In summary, my letter says that the following people already knew about the examiner scandal  up to five or more years ago:

Michael Gove knew ... I told him 2 years ago
Ed Balls knew as the Secretary of State 2 years ago ... I told him
An under secretary of state knew because I communicated with her
Two MPs knew this because I communicated with them in detail from five years or so ago
Civil servants knew about this because I communicated with them
The AQA knew about my research because I told them what their examiners were doing: they told me their systems prevented what I was talking about and they threatened me with legal action if I disclosed what I knew

This is not a new problem but I just hope that this abuse of position and privilege will stop now.

Feel free to call me to discuss this at any time! I will happily share my letter and blog postings with you too.

Best wishes

Duncan Williamson
Halifax, West Yorkshire