IN your article about the drop in successful exam appeals you quote Ken Cunningham, general secretary of School Leaders' Scotland: " There is now an increased scrutiny across the whole process and a better quality of marking which should reduce the number of errors."
This is a neat little sound-bite, but I have four simple questions: where is his evidence of increased scrutiny, what does he mean by whole process , with what, whom, or when is he comparing the quality of marking, and, finally, where is his evidence of improved marking?
In the same article Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland states that "some subjects have seen quite a high proportion of upgrades, because of marker error". Who is right?
As a teacher with more than 40 years' experience in Scottish secondary schools, I see no improvement in any scrutiny, only more bureaucracy, and I see less professional expertise in Scottish Qualifications Authority examiners and in many markers.
John Nolan,
29 Morrison Drive, Dunfermline.
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