Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

MP demands probe into exam fiasco

19/ 8/2008

AN urgent investigation into key stage three exam results has been called for by Rochdale MP Paul Rowen.

Mr Rowen says a catalogue of problems, including exam papers not being returned and concerns over the quality of marking, has left hundreds of 14-year-olds who sat their English, maths and science exams in May still waiting for their results.

He has written to every headteacher in Rochdale to find out how their school has been affected.

Almost all pupils who sat their English tests at Falinge Park High School have not received their results and almost half of science students at Redwood are waiting to find out how they performed in the Sats exams.

Wardle High School, Hollingworth Business and Enterprise College, Balderstone Technology College and Brownhill School have received all their results.

But St Cuthbert’s RC High School, Springhill, Oulder Hill Community School and Matthew Moss are still missing some results across all subjects.

Mr Rowen, who recently pressed education minister Ed Balls on the issue in the House of Commons, said: "I am flabbergasted at the incompetence of this Labour government. Our young people have been completely let down and Ed Balls should take full responsibility. Our local education authority is in complete chaos as a result and the fact that all the marking has to be double checked will cost taxpayers dear."

He added: "Staff are pulling their hair out as they are in a difficult position – they simply do not know the results of hundreds of pupils and if they do they simply do not trust them. This is an intolerable situation that needs sorting now. I have written to every headteacher in Rochdale and the horror stories coming back should shame the Labour government."

Last week it was announced that, despite providing a national picture, the government still did not have a ‘sufficient volume of data’ to publish a breakdown of how each local authority had performed in their key stage three exams.

This is expected to be released in October.