The first cut...
With the demise of the the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency, who will take responsibility for the school curriculum?
In May, the Government announced cuts to this year's public spending in an attempt to tackle the UK's £156 bn deficit. For the Department for Education (DfE) this meant the end of several quangos, including the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency (QCDA). Who now will take ownership of the school curriculum?
It doesn't seem too long ago that QCDA was being 're-invented' from its predecessor, QCA (the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority), as the body that would advise ministers on monitoring and developing the school curriculum and the delivery of tests and assessment. The regulatory role of QCA went to a new independent body, Ofqual, which now accredits public qualifications such as GCSEs and A-levels, and ensures that standards are maintained.
If we assume that the Secretary of State for Education is not getting rid of the National Curriculum, the question now arises as to who should take ownership of the school curriculum to ensure that it is kept up-to-date and fit for purpose. As Education in Chemistry went to press, rumours were that the DfE would probably take this role, but it was by no means clear.
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