§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what target each of the(a) Edexcel, (b) OCR and (c) AQA exam boards has set for the recruitment of examination markers for 2003; and what progress each exam board has made towards its target. [104840]
§ Mr. MilibandThe recruitment process is being overseen by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
Awarding bodies have been working to recruit the number of markers they anticipate will be needed to deal effectively with the likely number of entries for the summer examinations. The closing date for entries for the summer 2003 examinations was 21 March. By mid April, Edexcel, OCR and AQA will know whether they have recruited the necessary number of markers or whether they need to take further action in particular subjects.
Last December we announced that we were making an additional 6 million available to QCA to ensure that the 2003 examinations are delivered accurately and effectively, with particular attention paid to ensuring that there are sufficient examiners.