This is a difficult issue for me.
I find AQA to be a very good board for business studies with good specifications and exam papers. It seems to me that much of the credit for this ought to go to the Chief Examiner.
To declare a slight interest I do examine for AQA (I have not published any books or magazine articles).
I do feel that the potential for conflict of interest and taking advantage of inside knowledge is worrying. I am very pleased to see this topic under discussion here.
My own feeling on this is that it is indicative of the poor conditions (pay) for examiners. Why else would someone want to be involved in the system unless they benefit from it in other ways. Once again the funding of our education system could be said to need a thotough overhaul. Back to the real world - that's not going to happen.
>From: Graham Crewe <
[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: For teachers and lecturers interested in curriculum issues affecting the te <
[log in to unmask]>
>To:
[log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Chris Sivewright's posting - a topic of interest for sensible discussion?
>Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2002 09:18:48 -0700
>
>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:
>
>
>
>
All this worries me greatly. I can not help but see
>a conflict of interest here.
>
As if that wasn't bad enough schools are yet again
>divided up by money.
>
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!
>
Daresay I'll have to have a whip-round to buy board
>markers and lined paper if this carries on much
>longer!!
>
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.
>
Julie Parton
>From: Richard Young
><
[log in to unmask]>
>
>Reply-To: For teachers and lecturers
>interested in curriculum issues affecting the te
><
[log in to unmask]>
>
>To:
>
[log in to unmask]
>
>Subject: Chris Sivewright's posting - a
>topic of interest for sensible discussion?
>
>Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 16:39:18 +0100
>
>
>
>I am in correspondence with Chris on
>this. For those of you who have long
>
>been members of the list, his views are
>- well - controversial.
>
>
>
>I offer the following summary - his
>words NOT MINE.
>
>
>
>If we are going to debate this issue
>lets all be sensible and professional.
>
>For my own part, I am not sure what to
>think about the blurring of
>
>examining, authoring and training
>activities. On the one hand you do get
>
>'the inside story' when buying these
>products.
>
>
>
>But on the other hand what gets
>assessed gets taught. A very few people are
>
>able to wield an enormous impact on the
>teaching and learning of our
>
>subjects. I do not doubt they are every
>bit as interested in good practice,
>
>but I worry about accountability and
>potential conflicts of interest.
>
>
>
>So Chris's posting
>
>
>
>QUOTE: Could this happen in the future
>- and would people be happy if it
>
>did? or is the following a ground for
>concern?
>
>
>
>Mr A writes the A level Exam
>
>Mr A teaches the A level subject and
>then examines it
>
>Mr A runs a training company and that
>company could earn income from
>
>training people to pass the exam that
>Mr A writes
>
>Then...Mr A runs a training company
>that trains people to pass the exam
>
>using the textbook that Mr A writes to
>pass the exam that Mr A Writes
>
>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
>are for the exam, and he also runs a
>
>training company that by now is
>training people to pass the exam using the
>
>textbook that Mr A writes to pass the
>exam that Mr A Writes
>
>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
>are for the exam, and he also runs a
>
>training company that trains people to
>pass the exam using the textbook that
>
>Mr A writes to pass the exam that Mr A
>Writes and Mr A then changes the exam
>
>to make it a pre-issued case study
>
>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
>are for the exam, and he also runs a
>
>training company that trains people to
>pass the exam using the textbook that
>
>Mr A writes to pass the exam that Mr A
>Writes and Mr A then changes the exam
>
>to make it a pre-issued case study and
>people will no doubt buy guidance to
>
>the exam i.e. 'possible questions'
>produced by the company that Mr A starts
>
>Mr A advises the BBC on programmes that
>are for the exam, and he also runs a
>
>training company that trains people to
>pass the exam using the textbook that
>
>Mr A writes to pass the exam that Mr A
>Writes and Mr A then changes the exam
>
>to make it a pre-issued case study and
>people then consider buying guidance
>
>to the exam i.e. 'possible questions'
>produced by the company (as he ahs
>
>spotted a market niche) that Mr A
>starts and Mr A also encourages his
>
>friends to become examiners and write
>books on the exam that he writes
>
>This leads on to: Mr A advises the BBC
>on programmes that are for the exam,
>
>and he also runs a training company
>that trains people to pass the exam
>
>using the textbook that Mr A writes to
>pass the exam that Mr A Writes and Mr
>
>A then changes the exam to make it a
>pre-issued case study and people will
>
>no doubt buy guidance to the exam i.e.
>'possible questions' produced by the
>
>company that Mr A starts and Mr A also
>encourages his friends to become
>
>examiners and write books on the exam
>that he writes and these are all
>
>favourably reviewed by the magazine
>that is edited and co-owned...by Mr A.
>
>The website set up to extend Mr A's
>empire has copyright release to the
>
>examination papers (something no other
>publisher has) giving it a market
>
>edge and we're now one step nearer
>proscribed elarning.....
>
>Of course this is all 'this could
>happen' - but what if it did?
>
>List subscribers may like to consider
>these sites before they answer:
>
>http://www.hodderheadline.co.uk/authordetails.asp?author=4475
>
>http://authorpages.hoddersystems.com/IanMarcouse/
>
>Colleagues may also like to consider
>whether such a similar thing could
>
>happen in Economics...."
>
>END QUOTE
>
>
>
>
>
>Regards
>
>
>
>Richard Young
>
>AST Teacher of Business Studies,
>Economics & ICT
>
>Wood Green School
>
>Woodstock Road
>
>Witney OX28 1DX
>
>
>
>Tel 01993 702355
>
>Fax 01993 708662
>
>
>
>www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk
>
>BECTa/Guardian Secondary School Web
>Site of the Year 2001
>
>
[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>From: For teachers and lecturers
>interested in curriculum issues
>
>affecting the te
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>Behalf
>
>Of Duncan Williamson
>
>Sent: 30 June 2002 10:48
>
>To:
>
[log in to unmask]
>
>Subject: Re: Proposed changes to AS
>Business papers 1&2 ( AQA)
>
>
>
>We all know that Chris Sivewright is a
>live wire but I'd like to share
>
>a view with everyone that I think
>provides clear guidance on what we
>
>might expect from our examination
>boards.
>
>
>
>Firstly, you need to read Chris's post
>on the web site that Simon
>
>pointed us at: essentially, it outlines
>a scenario that screams
>
>conflict of interest and goodness knows
>what else! I have accepted as
>
>fact everything that Chris has said
>even though he presents it as sort
>
>of fictitious (there are links, though,
>that suggest otherwise!); so
>
>what follows is a reflection of the
>posting on an as is basis.
>
>
>
>I am currently working on accounting
>education and training out here in
>
>Central Asia and although my work
>centres around curriculum
>
>development, materials development and
>training, I'd like to tell you
>
>the process we have just gone through
>vis a vis our testing and
>
>certification work.
>
>
>
>Our testing and certification work is
>being spearheaded by a man, Liam,
>
>who was a very senior manager
>(marketing development) in the
>
>Association of Certified Chartered
>Aaccountants (ACCA) (UK) and was CEO
>
>of ACCA Ireland: he is a double
>qualified accountant (FCCA, ACMA) and
>
>has a bachelor's degree (B Com) from an
>Irish university. He has worked
>
>in the UK, Ireland, in many developing
>countries and whilst he was the
>
>marketing development manager of the
>ACCA (UK) he travelled the world
>
>advising accountants and accounting
>bodies on all aspects of their
>
>work. These are his credentials and
>this is
>
>
>
>his approach to the problem that Chris
>has raised
>
>the international accounting
>community's response to Liam's work
>
>
>
>Liam's rule 1: divorce testing and
>certification from all other
>
>administrative activities
>
>Liam's rule 2: divorce testing and
>certification from all teaching and
>
>training activities
>
>Liam's rule 3: divorce testing and
>certification from all materials
>
>development activities
>
>Liam's rule 4: employ only the most
>secure systems possible
>
>
>
>and so it goes on. We know that in this
>part of the world, the divorce
>
>of testing and certification from all
>other activities is a vital
>
>aspect of our work: until Liam and I
>arrived earlier this year there
>
>was conflict and confusion of interests
>surrounding all aspects of
>
>everyone's work and, surprise,
>surprise, we identified myriad problems
>
>when we dug down into those conflicts
>and confusions.
>
>
>
>Even if people are not corrupt but
>their systems are badly constructed
>
>and implemented, accidents happen and
>temptation is often too strong to
>
>resist.
>
>
>
>At a conference this week, and
>subsequent administrative follow up
>
>work, the following organisations
>endorsed our curriculum, training,
>
>testing and certification work
>
>
>
>the American Institute of Certified
>Public Accountants (the world's
>
>largest accounting body)
>
>the International Accounting Standards
>Board (the world's premier
>
>accounting standard setting body)
>
>the Scottish Institute of Chartered
>Accountants (the world's first
>
>accounting body and operator or
>Europe's largest business/accounting
>
>training network)
>
>the Institute of Management Accountants
>of the USA
>
>the International Federation of
>Accountants (a federation of accounting
>
>bodies from 156 countries and a major
>player in the world of accounting)
>
>
>
>It should be clear that with only a few
>exceptions, we are working with
>
>the world's most important accounting
>organisations (forgive me if I
>
>ask you not to think about Enron,
>WorldCom and Xerox for a moment!)
>
>
>
>The AICPA audited our curriculum and
>teaching and endorsed it; and they
>
>audited our testing and certification
>work and endorsed it as being of
>
>good quality, well managed and operated
>... their key concerns surround
>
>content and style of the exams, of
>course; the marking schemes and the
>
>marking systems, of course; the
>security systems and procedures; and
>
>the removal of all possible linkages
>from testing and certification to
>
>all other aspects of our work. These
>latter two points are at the
>
>forefront of the values that the AICPA
>concerns itself with and we
>
>passed this aspect of their audit too.
>
>
>
>The IASB raised the same issues
>concerning standards of the tests and
>
>the standards of the systems I have
>already mentioned ... so did all of
>
>the other senior accountants at the
>conference.
>
>
>
>In terms of Chris Sivewright's
>concerns, Mr A would ABSOLUTELY NOT be
>
>able to carry out in tandem many of the
>activities listed in Chris's
>
>message: there are far too many
>conflicts of interest and potential
>
>minefields in that list.
>
>
>
>Let me stress that I do not know Mr A,
>I have no personal axe to grind
>
>in respect of any examinations board
>and the above is given purely to
>
>reflect the ways that professional
>accounting organisations try to
>
>ensure that their training, testing and
>certification work conforms to
>
>the highest possible standards. We
>deserve the highest possible
>
>standards for our GCSE and A level
>standards too, don't we.
>
>
>
>
>
>Duncan Williamson
>
>
>
>PS As a matter of interest, if anyone
>is interested in the construction
>
>of tests and so on, the AICPA is in the
>middle of a massive project to
>
>transfer their testing regime from
>paper based (time constrained
>
>exam ...) to computer based. A poor
>telephone link at the moment has
>
>kept me away from their web site
>(www.aicpa.org) this week but you
>
>might find some interesting things
>there.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>
>From: Simon Budgen
>
>To:
>
[log in to unmask]
>
>Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2002 10:07 PM
>
>Subject: Re: Proposed changes to AS
>Business papers 1&2 ( AQA)
>
>
>
>
>
>An interesting if not controversial
>post to the TES Business Studies
>
>message board by Mr Chris Siveweright!
>
>
>
>Follow the link:
>
>
>
>http://www.tes.co.uk/staffroom/thread.asp?
>
>id=18108&threadID=26056&threadPage=1
>
>
>
>ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø
>
>
>
>Simon Budgen
>
>
>
>
[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø
>
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>=====
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>
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