Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Nicholas Dakin Excerpts
Monday 3rd September 2012

(12 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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There have been three reasons to celebrate in Suffolk over the past four weeks: first, a new free school in Brandon; secondly, a new free school in Beccles; and, thirdly, my hon. Friend coming first in a handicap race at Newmarket in his constituency and, in so doing, raising money for some of the most deserving cases in the military and equestrian worlds.

Nicholas Dakin Portrait Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)
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GCSE English is a progression qualification. From my 30-plus years in education and from listening to heads, teachers and local young people, it is clear to me that this year’s marking is a fiasco. Will the Secretary of State urge Ofqual to ensure fairness across the whole of this year’s entry group and not hide behind unacceptable comments such as that the entrants in January “got lucky”?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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I am sure the regulator will have heard the hon. Gentleman’s case. As I have said before, he was the head of an outstanding further education college. However, it is only appropriate to say that when the regulator appeared before the Education Committee, she made it clear that she saw it as her mission to deal with problems associated with grade inflation. It was on that basis that a Committee of this House approved her appointment.