The reports in today’s Telegraph that there is – as one examiner put it – ‘cheating’ in the exams system where tips are provided for teachers paying around £200 a session is extremely worrying.

Although we shouldn’t prejudice the outcomes of the investigation by Ofqual, this will strike a blow to the faith that parents, pupils, employers and universities must have in our examinations.

I welcome the fact that the government has launched an investigation; it must be thorough and rapid in order to restore trust. We have to understand if this is an isolated incident affecting one examination board – the WJEC – or symptomatic of a wider problem.

Phrases used like ‘we’re cheating,’ and ‘we’re not allowed to tell you,’ will understandably strike fear into all of us who believe in a level playing field for pupils taking exams.

Whilst I welcome the quick response to these allegations, in other areas Michael Gove really needs to get a grip. Too much of his approach combines incompetence with dogma. 

Firstly, on examinations. If the investigation, and an inquiry currently being conducted by the independent cross-party Education Select Committee, recommend moving to a single examination body to repair trust in A-Levels and GCSEs, then that is something Labour will wholeheartedly support.

There are strong arguments to streamline the system and try to prevent schools choosing easier exam boards in a ‘race to the bottom’.  We will look at the evidence and support reforms that improve standards.

Secondly, there are wider concerns about the management of the funding system. Today’s investigation by the Financial Times raises real concerns about the lack of a level playing field in terms of the amount of money received by academies, where it seems many have been given the wrong amount.

Of course new academies are entitled to additional funding to cover services when they convert, but just like the BSF announcement, this programme seems to have been mishandled. Some schools such as in Hillingdon, have been offered as much as £350,000 to convert.

Unsurprisingly, far more academies converted than the 200 which ministers predicted, creating a double whammy blow to the DfE’s budget.  The fact that 790 schools which converted in 2010-11 may be overpaid in 2011-12 as well is extremely concerning.

This money will now be top-sliced from all education authorities, irrespective of how many of their schools have converted to academies.

Michael Gove must explain to the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity why money has been squandered in this way, at a time when education funding has been cut by the biggest amount since the 1950s.

At the same time, the government is consulting on a new funding formula, which would take money away from schools in areas of real need like Bradford, Wolverhampton, Liverpool and Coventry, whilst giving more to schools in areas like Buckinghamshire.

One of the most worrying issues is that Michael Gove seems obsessed with pet projects, rather than being on top of the detail in what is happening in all 24,000 schools in England.

Just take one example – the types of schools he visits. Since the election last May, of the visits Michael Gove has made, 41 per cent of them have been to free schools and academies. But these schools only make up around 2 per cent of the total schools in England, according to figures from January from the Department for Education.

Labour’s message is clear: Michael Gove must get a firm grip on our education system.

Stephen Twigg MP is shadow secretary of state for education

Photo: Conservatives