Solution sought for Scots exam fiasco

Jack McConnell, Scotland's education minister, is involving pupils, parents and teachers in an early-warning system aimed at avoiding a repetition of this year's examinations fiasco, which left thousands of Scottish candidates with incomplete, inaccurate or missing results.

Following claims that the Scottish Qualifications Authority ignored repeated warnings of problems and failed to pass these on to ministers, an early-warning group is being set up to alert the Scottish Executive to any difficulties.

Pupils, parents and teachers will be able to voice their concerns to the SQA's senior management.

Mr McConnell has appointed a nine-member interim board for the SQA, the minimum legal number to be quorate, which will continue until decisions are taken on future governance.

Two Scottish parliamentary committees are expected to publish inquiry reports on the SQA next month.

Mr McConnell had urged the resignation of the entire 24-member board, but eight members have now been asked to withdraw their resignations and serve under the interim convenership of John Ward, who replaces former board chairman David Miller.