§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure that the Scottish Examination Board takes into account the disruption of education caused by strikes in respect of pupils sitting leaving certificate examinations.
§ Mr. McElhoneResponsibility for the conduct of the Scottish certificate of education examinations lies with the SCE418W examination board and it is for the board to decide whether there is need to take account of disruption of education. The board's existing procedures for appeals embody a degree of flexibility which enables the examiners to deal with such individual circumstances as may be drawn to the board's attention. The chairman of the board has reiterated this point in very recent press comment, while reminding all those concerned that fairness to candidates must be consistent with maintaining the standards of the SCE examination. It is the general practice of education authorities and schools to take steps to ensure that, where education is interrupted, suitable arrangements are made to recapture lost ground.