He gets it in the neck firstly because he is a Tory Education Secretary- and by definition will incur the wrath of teachers- just because. I think reducing the opportunities for students to sit exams is primarily a money saving exercise. Prior to this current regime, A level students could sit some of their modules up to 4 times each. And if they take 4 subjects at AS and 3 at A2 that was potentially 38 exams altogether. Some students may have an A on a module but would resit to get a better A and maximise their UCAS points on easy modules since they cannot resit their final June modules. People have to be paid to produce them, invigilate them, mark them, sit with students over lunch time when they have clashes so that they do not access phones and computers. Most schools would not pay for all resits and parents would pay but even so the process must be subsidised since they do not cost very much. Also he is reforming BTEC exams- the dropout rate of students who get into uni with a BTEC (all coursework- does not appear to be externally moderated!)is high so subjecting BTEC students to sitting exams may reduce the dropout rate.