§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many of the markers recruited by the Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board for 1986 have been markers on (a) at least one previous occasion and (b) two or more previous occasions;
(2) how many of the markers recruited by the Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board for the 1986 examinations are teachers or further education lecturers presently employed (a) in Scotland, (b) elsewhere in the United Kingdom and (c) outside the United Kingdom;
(3) how many of the markers recruited by the Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board for the 1986 examinations have a minimum of two years' recent experience of presenting candidates for Scottish Certificate of Education examinations;
(4) what was the cost of advertising for and recruiting Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board markers (a) in Scotland, (b) elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and (c) outside the United Kingdom for the 1985 examinations; and what are the corresponding estimated costs for the current year;
276W(5) how many people aged 70 or over have (a) applied and (b) been accepted as markers for the Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board examinations for 1986.
§ Mr. Allan StewartTo provide the information requested, the Scottish Examination Board will require to scrutinise the records of some 2,500 markers individually and calculate the actual and likely expenditure incurred on recruitment of markers in 1985 and 1986, respectively. I have asked the chairman of the board to write to the hon. Member when the information is available.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what exceptional circumstances markers for the Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board will be excused from attendance at markers' meetings for the 1986 examinations.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe Scottish Examination Board has informed me that it will consider waiving the normal requirement of compulsory attendance at markers' meetings:
- i. where a meeting is to be held on a weekday and serving teachers cannot be given release to attend the meeting by their headteacher;
- ii. where a meeting is to be held on a Sunday and the marker is unwilling on grounds of religious principle to attend; and
- iii. where the marker has a previous specific and unbreakable commitment on the day fixed for the markers' meeting.
In any event, every marker receives written instructions and, where a marker is unable to attend a meeting, these are supplemented as required.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the usual qualifications of markers recruited by the Scottish Certificate of Education Examinations Board; and what qualifications, and so on, are required of those markers who do not fulfil the normal qualifications.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe Scottish Examination Board continues to require all applicants for consideration for appointment as markers to have, either in the subject concerned or in a related subject, three years experience of presentation for the Scottish Certificate of Education or Certificate of Sixth Year Studies or three years examining experience in tertiary education.