§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters he has received criticising the proposed changes to GCSE; how many of these were from parents and governors; what response he has made to the criticisms expressed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarAs I said in my reply of 24 February to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) at column377, varying views have been expressed in the letters we have received from different interested groups and individuals on the subject. My right hon. and learned 309W Friend and I have said that in order to maintain public confidence in GCSE, and given the difficulties of ensuring that course work is conducted under sufficiently uniform conditions and marked against nationwide standards, its course work element needs to be kept within agreed limits.