The blissful prospect of a year without exams I am a little confused. Most teachers I know are of the view that the curse of assessment has blighted the educational scene over recent decades. Out goes creativity, flexibility and the love of learning for its own sake; in comes an exam-dominated curriculum full of tick-boxes, assessment objectives and performance targets. Most teachers I know despair that there is no time for "proper" teaching any more as the next exam is just around the corner. And then the Secretary of State for Education rides in on a white charger and announces that he is to abolish modules and to return post-16 education to a linear process examined at the end of the two years. What, I hear you say? The teaching profession flocks to applaud his latest radical move? Far from it: in fact, the establishment, including many colleagues of mine in the independent sector who you might expect to think differently, roundly condemn him ... no white charger here alas, rather the devil incarnate. All the more so when you think about the other benefits of the proposed change to the A-Level programme. The real problem with the current assessment system is the quality of marking. If these changes happen, fewer exams means fewer markers needed; in turn that should lead to better quality with the prospect of better reward. There can only be benefit in extra time to teach the syllabus; in turn that can be used to create the depth of content over time that universities hanker for, particularly in key subjects such as engineering and maths. Young minds are given more time to develop. And the "never mind, there's always the retake" culture - hardly one to inspire a generation - is dead and buried. I could understand if the one benefit of earlier reforms was lost in the process. The expansion of the normal curriculum from three to four subjects with the introduction of the AS was an excellent move: it encouraged breadth of choice and particularly encouraged the "science" specialist to indulge in an "arts" subject and vice versa. But Mr Gove has kept the AS; as a stand-alone subject. By my reckoning, that should increase, not decrease its value. So why are so many teachers up in arms? Why am I in a minority in sympathising with the direction of travel? To be fair, there is a whiff of undignified speed about the plans, and they come among a morass of other suggested reforms. There is more than a hint of electoral politics in the timing. He could, perhaps, be accused of biting off more than he can chew. But the opposition is about more than a matter of timing. We are in a situation where a minister who genuinely wants to make educational outcomes better for all is opposed almost for the sake of it. It is the old mentality that blighted relationships between the public sector and government; the teaching unions are rapidly becoming the new miners. A mentality that encourages both sides to put up the shutters, to the detriment of all. Little of the coverage I have seen appreciates the point that it is less about the exam at the end and more about the absence of the exams before. As a Head, I want to find a time when the Duke of Edinburgh award group can go on their expedition. When the English department can put on a Lower Sixth English play. When we can put on a series of lectures, university visits: heaven forbid, play some tennis and cricket. I want teachers to enjoy teaching without the imminent pressure of another test. I want a time to be truly independent as a school. A year without exams between GCSE and A Level. It sounds like heaven to me . John Moule is headmaster of Bedford School