The English Examining Boards: Their route from independence to government outsourcing agencies

233

radically change one that had been a constant lodestar since 1951. The post-Dearing
decision that GNVQs should be provided by the same bodies that awarded academic
qualifications was addressed initially by AQA’s purchase of City & Guilds’ GNVQ
provision. The cost of this transaction [£1 million] had not been anticipated because
City & Guilds had been a member of AQA’s initial joint venture until the threat of
government interference caused its strategic withdrawal.

To ensure a smooth transition, because the qualification was, of course, in active use
in post-16 institutions around the country, a core unit of City & Guilds staff continued
to administer the GNVQs for client schools and colleges while designated AQA staff
learned the procedures for the new acquisition. Such a hybrid arrangement proved
problematic and led to errors for which lines of responsibility were not clear. Even
when this dual control ended, the continual adaptations that QCA was suggesting for
GNVQ qualifications meant a drain on staff and consequently on costs. Then AQA
found that its acquisition of City & Guilds’ market share - less than a quarter of
GNVQs across the country - did not provide the economies of scale that are essential
to ensure that administering a qualification is cost effective. This was another instance
of significantly increased costs resulting from an externally-generated requirement.

However, the GNVQ factor was a minor issue compared with the complete
restructuring of A levels with the Curriculum 2000 reforms. While the wider effects
of this change to post-16 qualifications will be considered in the next chapter, here the
focus is on its effects on staff in the examining boards. The re-design of A levels
involved separating the qualification into a two-level structure. Advanced
Supplementary (AS) comprised three modules in each of four subjects as the norm for
year 12, and what was known as A2 meant that most students took three modules in

<<   231   232   233   234   235   236   237   >>

More intriguing information