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Balls ‘sexed up’ evidence to discredit me, says Sats head
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent22.04.09
THE former exams watchdog has launched a devastating attack on Children's Secretary Ed Balls today over his handling of the Sats marking fiasco.
Ken Boston accused Mr Balls of “sexing up” evidence to the inquiry into what went wrong and giving false information to the House of Commons.
He claimed the minister's top official tried to force him to quit months before the supposedly “independent” investigation had even concluded.
Dr Boston, who resigned as head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority over the debacle, said he had been warning ministers for years that Sats marking was a “high wire” exercise that could go “belly up”.
Results for 1.2 million children aged 11 and 14 were delayed last year after major marking problems hit the tests. An official inquiry by Lord Sutherland blamed QCA and the private firm hired to run the tests, ETS Europe, for the failures.
But Dr Boston said Mr Balls had “narrowed” the inquiry's remit by refusing to allow Lord Sutherland to examine the role played by ministers. This placed a “protective fence” around Mr Balls and his officials, Dr Boston said.
Yet the Government is responsible for setting the almost impossibly tight deadline of eight weeks for the tests to be marked and results produced, as well as the other key features of Sats.
In damning evidence to the Commons schools select committee, Dr Boston said ministers had wrongly claimed he was present at a meeting in June when Sats were discussed. This led to false conclusions in the Sutherland report and inaccurate information being given to MPs in the Commons by Mr Balls, he said.
Dr Boston also challenged Mr Balls's suggestions to the Commons that ministers “pressed” him for answers over the marking problems: “This too is fiction.”
He said: “Flawed evidence has been used to portray me as complacent, disengaged, and constantly beleaguered by ministers with questions I was unable to answer. This is far from the truth.
“I was managing an organisation which had a difficult task ahead of it but it failed and I resigned.
“What I resent is evidence against me being sexed up in a report by Lord Sutherland on the basis of false evidence from ministers to characterise me as something I am not.”
Dr Boston was speaking for the first time since the publication of the Sutherland report into the fiasco in December.
He painted a picture of an almost total breakdown in relations between Mr Balls, his deputy Jim Knight and the QCA.
Dr Boston said he had worked with 40 ministers over his career but had only very rare meetings with Mr Balls and Mr Knight.
In previous years ministers had held regular meetings with the QCA during the marking process but not last year, he said.
Dr Boston accused David Bell, permanent secretary at the Department for Children, of telling him to quit months before Lord Sutherland's inquiry had even concluded.
He said Mr Bell told him the inquiry “would be bad for me” and he should resign.
Reader views (6)
Dr Boston - I suggest exposing this utterly contemptible government (or any member thereof) can be extremely hazardous to your health. See the case of Dr Kelly. I also suggest you very publically leave an extensive written letter with a good lawyer 'to be opened (and sent to Max Clifford) in the event of my bizarre demise'.
- Ethan, UK
Oy! Balls! Out!
- Bloke, London
A dozen years ago it was 'get the tories out' because they were accused of sleaze and lining their own pockets. However, they handed over to 'new labour' a fairly good ecomony. This government and the MP's make Major's government look like school boys raiding sweets from the corner shop. Too late Gordon, phases like, stable, horse and bolt come to mind.
- M Ulliott, Ilford Essex
mcbroon, mcbride, mcballs, mcjackboot and the downing street lie machine. title for a modern day "aesops fables"?
- Philip Smith, seaford
Ooooh yes, about the only thing the government is good at is falsyfying information!
- Marianne, SW France
Balls has the same disease as the rest of the rabble in the Cabinet. EVERYTHING that comes out of Downing Street is a work of fiction.
How much longer is Joe Public going to tolerate this Labour Government?
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK
