Letter: Board denial

THE ARTICLE by Rosie Waterhouse on examination boards approving "official" school textbooks ("Exam boards paid to approve textbooks", 28 November) is seriously misleading. As a major examinations board, Edexcel no longer allows publishers to use the term "official" on any textbook. We do not receive royalties from sales or fees from publishers for reading proposed textbooks. Edexcel uses its academic expertise to approve texts only when they are an excellent and rigorous match for the syllabus and enable teachers to help their pupils to study successfully for national qualifications. This follows an open tendering process for publishers. Edexcel welcomes diversity and there is never any implication that a particular text is the only place containing the material needed to achieve success in any particular examination.

DR CHRISTINA TOWNSEND

Chief Executive, Edexcel

London WC1