Letter: Testing times

WHEN the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development survey gave Scots children a dire education report, our reaction was to bail out of the survey.

Equally infantile was our authorities' response to questions being asked about the increasing number of "failing" schools - to ban the use of such an adjective.

Now the Scottish Qualification Authority is to axe appeals by teachers against the frequently flawed marking of children's exam papers (your report, 8 August).

A much more sensible response would be to fax a copy of the marked script back to the school so that the teacher could judge whether further appeal was worthwhile.

This is done in England, but the spirit of secrecy and official arrogance is so great north of the Border that no-one should hold their breath.

DR JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place

St Andrews, Fife