Please take me off this list. Thank you.
On Tue, 2 Jul 2002, Graham Crewe wrote:
> I'm quite surprised to see so much negative posting
> about Ian Marcousé (there, I said it!!!). Although
> there IS a potential conflict of interest, he has
> always appeared to act totally ethically, for example
> diseminating latest thinking through his regular
> column in the Business Review teacher's guide.
>
> I think that the textbook he edits is excellent and
> far superior to others i have found on the market
> (e.g. Hall, Raffo and Jones).
>
> AQA appears to lead the way in terms of information
> provided to centres, transparency, fair (and
> interesting) exam papers etc. E.g. I have always
> wanted a decent scheme of work provided by OCR
> Economics. We have had several alternative suggestions
> from AQA Business Studies.
>
> Whilst a potentially dangerous situation such as this
> must have its checks and balances, that does not mean
> that it should necessarily be stopped.
>
> If someone is extremely good at their job and capable
> of establishing a brand name out of what they do, as
> he has done, then why not??? Surely we business
> teachers should be admiring the way he has developed
> his core capabilities and taken them into new markets.
> Igor Ansoff would approve!
>
> Good luck to him!
>
>
>
>
>
> --- Julie Parton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> <HR>
> <html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
> <P>All this worries me greatly. I can not help but see
> a conflict of interest here. </P>
> <P>As if that wasn't bad enough schools are yet again
> divided up by money. </P>
> <P>Financially I can not afford for my department to
> buy into these courses, websites and publications. Yet
> for the sake of my students grades as well as my own
> salary (post-threshold = payment by results) I can not
> afford NOT to buy into all this! </P>
> <P>Daresay I'll have to have a whip-round to buy board
> markers and lined paper if this carries on much
> longer!! </P>
> <P>We have already come to the conclusion that
> although the Examiner written text book is not the
> best available to our students we are seriously
> disadvantaging them if each is not supplied with a
> copy.</P>
> <P>Julie Parton<BR><BR>>From: Richard Young
> <[log in to unmask]></P></DIV>
> <DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: For teachers and lecturers
> interested in curriculum issues affecting the te
> <[log in to unmask]>
> <DIV></DIV>>To:
> [log in to unmask]
> <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Chris Sivewright's posting - a
> topic of interest for sensible discussion?
> <DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 16:39:18 +0100
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>I am in correspondence with Chris on
> this. For those of you who have long
> <DIV></DIV>>been members of the list, his views are
> - well - controversial.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>I offer the following summary - his
> words NOT MINE.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>If we are going to debate this issue
> lets all be sensible and professional.
> <DIV></DIV>>For my own part, I am not sure what to
> think about the blurring of
> <DIV></DIV>>examining, authoring and training
> activities. On the one hand you do get
> <DIV></DIV>>'the inside story' when buying these
> products.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>But on the other hand what gets
> assessed gets taught. A very few people are
> <DIV></DIV>>able to wield an enormous impact on the
> teaching and learning of our
> <DIV></DIV>>subjects. I do not doubt they are every
> bit as interested in good practice,
> <DIV></DIV>>but I worry about accountability and
> potential conflicts of interest.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>So Chris's posting
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>QUOTE: Could this happen in the future
> - and would people be happy if it
> <DIV></DIV>>did? or is the following a ground for
> concern?
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A writes the A level Exam
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A teaches the A level subject and
> then examines it
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A runs a training company and that
> company could earn income from
> <DIV></DIV>>training people to pass the exam that
> Mr A writes
> <DIV></DIV>>Then...Mr A runs a training company
> that trains people to pass the exam
> <DIV></DIV>>using the textbook that Mr A writes to
> pass the exam that Mr A Writes
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
> are for the exam, and he also runs a
> <DIV></DIV>>training company that by now is
> training people to pass the exam using the
> <DIV></DIV>>textbook that Mr A writes to pass the
> exam that Mr A Writes
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
> are for the exam, and he also runs a
> <DIV></DIV>>training company that trains people to
> pass the exam using the textbook that
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A writes to pass the exam that Mr A
> Writes and Mr A then changes the exam
> <DIV></DIV>>to make it a pre-issued case study
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
> are for the exam, and he also runs a
> <DIV></DIV>>training company that trains people to
> pass the exam using the textbook that
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A writes to pass the exam that Mr A
> Writes and Mr A then changes the exam
> <DIV></DIV>>to make it a pre-issued case study and
> people will no doubt buy guidance to
> <DIV></DIV>>the exam i.e. 'possible questions'
> produced by the company that Mr A starts
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
> are for the exam, and he also runs a
> <DIV></DIV>>training company that trains people to
> pass the exam using the textbook that
> <DIV></DIV>>Mr A writes to pass the exam that Mr A
> Writes and Mr A then changes the exam
> <DIV></DIV>>to make it a pre-issued case study and
> people then consider buying guidance
> <DIV></DIV>>to the exam i.e. 'possible questions'
> produced by the company (as he ahs
> <DIV></DIV>>spotted a market niche) that Mr A
> starts and Mr A also encourages his
> <DIV></DIV>>friends to become examiners and write
> books on the exam that he writes
> <DIV></DIV>>This leads on to: Mr A advises the BBC
> on programmes that are for the exam,
> <DIV></DIV>>and he also runs a training company
> that trains people to pass the exam
> <DIV></DIV>>using the textbook that Mr A writes to
> pass the exam that Mr A Writes and Mr
> <DIV></DIV>>A then changes the exam to make it a
> pre-issued case study and people will
> <DIV></DIV>>no doubt buy guidance to the exam i.e.
> 'possible questions' produced by the
> <DIV></DIV>>company that Mr A starts and Mr A also
> encourages his friends to become
> <DIV></DIV>>examiners and write books on the exam
> that he writes and these are all
> <DIV></DIV>>favourably reviewed by the magazine
> that is edited and co-owned...by Mr A.
> <DIV></DIV>>The website set up to extend Mr A's
> empire has copyright release to the
> <DIV></DIV>>examination papers (something no other
> publisher has) giving it a market
> <DIV></DIV>>edge and we're now one step nearer
> proscribed elarning.....
> <DIV></DIV>>Of course this is all 'this could
> happen' - but what if it did?
> <DIV></DIV>>List subscribers may like to consider
> these sites before they answer:
> <DIV></DIV>>http://www.hodderheadline.co.uk/authordetails.asp?author=4475
> <DIV></DIV>>http://authorpages.hoddersystems.com/IanMarcouse/
> <DIV></DIV>>Colleagues may also like to consider
> whether such a similar thing could
> <DIV></DIV>>happen in Economics...."
> <DIV></DIV>>END QUOTE
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Regards
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Richard Young
> <DIV></DIV>>AST Teacher of Business Studies,
> Economics & ICT
> <DIV></DIV>>Wood Green School
> <DIV></DIV>>Woodstock Road
> <DIV></DIV>>Witney OX28 1DX
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Tel 01993 702355
> <DIV></DIV>>Fax 01993 708662
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk
> <DIV></DIV>>BECTa/Guardian Secondary School Web
> Site of the Year 2001
> <DIV></DIV>>[log in to unmask]
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>> -----Original Message-----
> <DIV></DIV>>From: For teachers and lecturers
> interested in curriculum issues
> <DIV></DIV>>affecting the te
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf
> <DIV></DIV>>Of Duncan Williamson
> <DIV></DIV>>Sent: 30 June 2002 10:48
> <DIV></DIV>>To:
> [log in to unmask]
> <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Proposed changes to AS
> Business papers 1&2 ( AQA)
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>We all know that Chris Sivewright is a
> live wire but I'd like to share
> <DIV></DIV>>a view with everyone that I think
> provides clear guidance on what we
> <DIV></DIV>>might expect from our examination
> boards.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Firstly, you need to read Chris's post
> on the web site that Simon
> <DIV></DIV>>pointed us at: essentially, it outlines
> a scenario that screams
> <DIV></DIV>>conflict of interest and goodness knows
> what else! I have accepted as
> <DIV></DIV>>fact everything that Chris has said
> even though he presents it as sort
> <DIV></DIV>>of fictitious (there are links, though,
> that suggest otherwise!); so
> <DIV></DIV>>what follows is a reflection of the
> posting on an as is basis.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>I am currently working on accounting
> education and training out here in
> <DIV></DIV>>Central Asia and although my work
> centres around curriculum
> <DIV></DIV>>development, materials development and
> training, I'd like to tell you
> <DIV></DIV>>the process we have just gone through
> vis a vis our testing and
> <DIV></DIV>>certification work.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Our testing and certification work is
> being spearheaded by a man, Liam,
> <DIV></DIV>>who was a very senior manager
> (marketing development) in the
> <DIV></DIV>>Association of Certified Chartered
> Aaccountants (ACCA) (UK) and was CEO
> <DIV></DIV>>of ACCA Ireland: he is a double
> qualified accountant (FCCA, ACMA) and
> <DIV></DIV>>has a bachelor's degree (B Com) from an
> Irish university. He has worked
> <DIV></DIV>>in the UK, Ireland, in many developing
> countries and whilst he was the
> <DIV></DIV>>marketing development manager of the
> ACCA (UK) he travelled the world
> <DIV></DIV>>advising accountants and accounting
> bodies on all aspects of their
> <DIV></DIV>>work. These are his credentials and
> this is
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>his approach to the problem that Chris
> has raised
> <DIV></DIV>>the international accounting
> community's response to Liam's work
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Liam's rule 1: divorce testing and
> certification from all other
> <DIV></DIV>>administrative activities
> <DIV></DIV>>Liam's rule 2: divorce testing and
> certification from all teaching and
> <DIV></DIV>>training activities
> <DIV></DIV>>Liam's rule 3: divorce testing and
> certification from all materials
> <DIV></DIV>>development activities
> <DIV></DIV>>Liam's rule 4: employ only the most
> secure systems possible
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>and so it goes on. We know that in this
> part of the world, the divorce
> <DIV></DIV>>of testing and certification from all
> other activities is a vital
> <DIV></DIV>>aspect of our work: until Liam and I
> arrived earlier this year there
> <DIV></DIV>>was conflict and confusion of interests
> surrounding all aspects of
> <DIV></DIV>>everyone's work and, surprise,
> surprise, we identified myriad problems
> <DIV></DIV>>when we dug down into those conflicts
> and confusions.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Even if people are not corrupt but
> their systems are badly constructed
> <DIV></DIV>>and implemented, accidents happen and
> temptation is often too strong to
> <DIV></DIV>>resist.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>At a conference this week, and
> subsequent administrative follow up
> <DIV></DIV>>work, the following organisations
> endorsed our curriculum, training,
> <DIV></DIV>>testing and certification work
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>the American Institute of Certified
> Public Accountants (the world's
> <DIV></DIV>>largest accounting body)
> <DIV></DIV>>the International Accounting Standards
> Board (the world's premier
> <DIV></DIV>>accounting standard setting body)
> <DIV></DIV>>the Scottish Institute of Chartered
> Accountants (the world's first
> <DIV></DIV>>accounting body and operator or
> Europe's largest business/accounting
> <DIV></DIV>>training network)
> <DIV></DIV>>the Institute of Management Accountants
> of the USA
> <DIV></DIV>>the International Federation of
> Accountants (a federation of accounting
> <DIV></DIV>>bodies from 156 countries and a major
> player in the world of accounting)
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>It should be clear that with only a few
> exceptions, we are working with
> <DIV></DIV>>the world's most important accounting
> organisations (forgive me if I
> <DIV></DIV>>ask you not to think about Enron,
> WorldCom and Xerox for a moment!)
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>The AICPA audited our curriculum and
> teaching and endorsed it; and they
> <DIV></DIV>>audited our testing and certification
> work and endorsed it as being of
> <DIV></DIV>>good quality, well managed and operated
> ... their key concerns surround
> <DIV></DIV>>content and style of the exams, of
> course; the marking schemes and the
> <DIV></DIV>>marking systems, of course; the
> security systems and procedures; and
> <DIV></DIV>>the removal of all possible linkages
> from testing and certification to
> <DIV></DIV>>all other aspects of our work. These
> latter two points are at the
> <DIV></DIV>>forefront of the values that the AICPA
> concerns itself with and we
> <DIV></DIV>>passed this aspect of their audit too.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>The IASB raised the same issues
> concerning standards of the tests and
> <DIV></DIV>>the standards of the systems I have
> already mentioned ... so did all of
> <DIV></DIV>>the other senior accountants at the
> conference.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>In terms of Chris Sivewright's
> concerns, Mr A would ABSOLUTELY NOT be
> <DIV></DIV>>able to carry out in tandem many of the
> activities listed in Chris's
> <DIV></DIV>>message: there are far too many
> conflicts of interest and potential
> <DIV></DIV>>minefields in that list.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Let me stress that I do not know Mr A,
> I have no personal axe to grind
> <DIV></DIV>>in respect of any examinations board
> and the above is given purely to
> <DIV></DIV>>reflect the ways that professional
> accounting organisations try to
> <DIV></DIV>>ensure that their training, testing and
> certification work conforms to
> <DIV></DIV>>the highest possible standards. We
> deserve the highest possible
> <DIV></DIV>>standards for our GCSE and A level
> standards too, don't we.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Duncan Williamson
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>PS As a matter of interest, if anyone
> is interested in the construction
> <DIV></DIV>>of tests and so on, the AICPA is in the
> middle of a massive project to
> <DIV></DIV>>transfer their testing regime from
> paper based (time constrained
> <DIV></DIV>>exam ...) to computer based. A poor
> telephone link at the moment has
> <DIV></DIV>>kept me away from their web site
> (www.aicpa.org) this week but you
> <DIV></DIV>>might find some interesting things
> there.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>----- Original Message -----
> <DIV></DIV>>From: Simon Budgen
> <DIV></DIV>>To:
> [log in to unmask]
> <DIV></DIV>>Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2002 10:07 PM
> <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Proposed changes to AS
> Business papers 1&2 ( AQA)
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>An interesting if not controversial
> post to the TES Business Studies
> <DIV></DIV>>message board by Mr Chris Siveweright!
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Follow the link:
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>http://www.tes.co.uk/staffroom/thread.asp?
> <DIV></DIV>>id=18108&threadID=26056&threadPage=1
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Simon Budgen
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>[log in to unmask]
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø
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