GCSE grade boundaries to be lowered?

So, further to my post a couple of days ago it seems that changes to the grade boundaries are afoot.

GCSE Grade boundaries to be lowered?

The Times is reporting the lowering of grade boundaries to avoid the "Gove effect".  Essentially, Gove appears to have insisted upon harder exams this year to reduce the number of students getting each grade to ensure the best students are highlighted.

Whilst an admirable philosophy - students should certainly have to earn the top grades - this was always going to put him at odds with secondary teachers and schools who are rigorously judged by the amount of progress students make.

It wouldn't do, especially with an election on the horizon, for schools to see their results drop and the inquiring face of Ofsted to appear to annoy everyone...Did Gove really want to be the first Secretary of State for Education to see results go down?

So, just maybe, Gove is going to have the absolute opposite effect of what he intended as grade boundaries are lowered to ensure standards don't drop....

The writers of "Yes Minister" would be proud...