ABSTRACT
Why a chapter on ethics? It should, I hope, be clear by now that assessment is a powerful tool: it can shape curriculum, teaching and learning; it can affect how pupils come to see themselves both as learners and in a more general sense as competent or not; through labelling and sorting pupils (certificating and selecting) it affects how pupils are viewed by others; it controls access to further education and high status careers. As I pointed out on the first page of this book assessment has become increasingly widespread and significant in our education system and shows no sign of going away or losing its power. Given this, a consideration of ethical issues and equity is highly pertinent; indeed the consideration now given to consequential validity in an area that was considered to be largely technical indicates that this issue is now beginning to receive due attention.
