Exam board fined
ONE of England’s biggest exam boards is to be fined £125,000 after partial solutions to GCSE computing tasks appeared in an endorsed textbook.
Exams regulator Ofqual announced it is imposing the penalty on OCR in a report that said the mistakes, which related to a form of coursework completed under strict conditions, meant some students had been given an “unfair advantage”.
OCR apologised, but insisted that the issues did not have an impact on students or exam results. THERESA May has issued a call for “common sense” to deliver a Brexit deal that will be good for Britain and Europe, as she sent a message to Brussels: “Let’s get on with it.”
In an apparent warning to hardline Brexiteers to temper their expectations, Mrs May used a high-profile speech in London to acknowledge that neither side would get “exactly what we want” in talks on the future UK/EU relationship.
But she also sent a blunt message to Brussels that the EU must face “hard facts” and resolve “tensions” in its own stance if it is to help deliver the best outcome for all.
She dismissed the European Commission’s insistence that it would not allow “cherry-picking” of rights and obligations, insisting this was a part of any trade talks.
With talks on the future relationship due to start this month and reach broad agreement by October, Mrs May offered reassurance to Brussels that she would not give in to calls from Brexit hardliners.
“We will not be buffeted by the demands to threaten a walk-out,” she said. “Just as we will not accept the counsels of despair that this simply cannot be done.”
But in response to questions, she stood by her mantra that “no deal is better than a bad deal”.
After increasingly impatient appeals from EU leaders for more detail about Britain’s aims, Mrs May used her keenly awaited address at the Mansion House to put more flesh on the bones of her vision for “the broadest and deepest possible partnership” after Brexit.
Mr Barnier welcomed the speech for offering “clarity” on the UK’s aims and a recognition there would be “trade-offs”.
But German MEP Manfred Weber – an ally of chancellor Angela Merkel and leader of the centre-right EPP grouping in the European Parliament – said: “I don’t see how we could reach an agreement on Brexit if the UK Government continues to bury its head in the sand like this.”
Declaring that she was “confident” that a deal was “achievable”, Mrs May said her message to Brussels was: “We know what we want. We understand your principles. We have a shared interest in getting this right. Let’s get on with it.”
Mrs May was joined at the Mansion House by Cabinet ministers from both sides of the Brexit divide, including Philip Hammond, David Davis and Greg Clark.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “After 20 wasted months, Theresa May has once again failed to bring real clarity to the negotiations – and, worryingly, she admitted that her approach will reduce our access to European markets.
“She read out a long list of problems, but failed to provide solutions, particularly on the urgent question of preventing a hard border in Northern Ireland.
“We clearly set out our Brexit priorities in Coventry on Monday. Theresa May’s only clear priority today seemed to be to tie the UK permanently to EU rules, which are used to drive privatisation and block support for British industry.”