§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the failure rate by those taking vocational A-level assessments. [158247]
§ Mr. Wicks[holing answer 23 April 2001]: We are committed to ensuring that the new vocational A-level is as rigorous as the GCE A-level. However, responsibility for assessing the standards of qualifications rests with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and with the awarding body. QCA is meeting with all awarding bodies to review the outcome of the assessments and consider whether there are lessons to be learned.