Civitas Blog

Celebrate, for a new national agency has been born! “Ofqual will act as the independent guardian of standards across the qualifications, tests and exam system in England.” The mother is the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which henceforth will be known as the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA). The raft of independent and international evidence consistently contradicting the QCA’s now annual claim that exam standards are being maintained has prompted this move. We should, however, remain sceptical that merely splitting up the QCA into two national agencies, both of which still report directly to ministers (rather than parliament), will finally get a grip on grade inflation.