Exam Reform

Tony Baldry Excerpts

Monday 17th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her point, but she invites us to consult. As I have pointed out, we are launching a consultation today, but we cannot launch a consultation on any proposals. Perhaps she is inviting us to launch a consultation on whether we should have a consultation on some ideas that someone else might think of before we can actually come forward with our own. It seems to me that she wants to have her consultation and eat it at the same time.

[Sir Tony Baldry (Banbury) (Con)]

Is that not the point my right hon. Friend is making? First, this is a genuine consultation, which will take some time, and head teachers and others should submit their views in it. Secondly, this is not being rushed—the first of the exams under any new system will not be taken until 2017—so a little less synthetic anger and a little more constructive comment would probably do us all well.

[Michael Gove]

As is so often the case, my hon. Friend hits several nails squarely on the head in quick succession. It is our intention to ensure that the consultation is long enough to take into account the views of head teachers, academics and others, and head teachers have already welcomed many of the steps we are taking and want to engage positively with the Government. I hope that the Opposition do likewise.