By Mike Baker BBC education correspondent

OK, settle down now. Face the front. Stop fidgeting.

It is the start of the new school year. So I thought we would start the term with a quiz.

As you all know things rarely stand still in education and while you've been away sweltering on the beaches, the pace of educational reform has not slackened.

So whether you're the proud parent of a five year old who is just starting school, or of a bolshy teenager embarking on GCSEs or AS-levels, the question is: do you know what it takes to fulfil your parental role?

So here is the BBC News Online test for the new school year. It is a bit like the new government test for applicants for British citizenship, only this assesses your eligibility to be a concerned and involved parent.

So, turn over your papers and you may start writing, now:

Several new types of innovative secondary school open around England this term, with many more in the pipeline. What are they?

A: Foundation Schools B: Grammar Schools C: City Academies

As teachers return to school they will be analysing this summer's GCSE results which attracted banner headlines during August. What did they show?

A: exams have got easier B: students are brighter C: the change in pass rate was statistically so small nothing much could be read into them

There are moves to curb the number of exam appeals in Scotland. Overall, what did this year's Highers results show?

A: The pass rate rose again. B: The pass rate fell again. C: There was no change.

Your child has just entered the sixth form in England. In modern currency, what is this called?

A: Year 12 B: Year 6 C: Lower Sixth Remove

This term your child will be filling out a Ucas form for university entrance in Autumn 2004. How much will the undergraduate tuition fees be in England?

A: between �0 and �3,000 B: a flat-rate, up-front �1,000 C: up to �1,125 depending on your income

How much official student loan can your child take out this year if they are over 18 and enrolled on a full-time course at a further education college outside London?

A: �4,000 B: nothing C: �2,375

The government recently launched a new strategy for primary schools in England. Which words were in the title?

A: Standards B: Enjoyment C: Numeracy and Literacy

The government wants more students to enrol on two-year, vocational courses at university as the main method of achieving a 50% participation rate at university. What are these courses called?

A: Vocational Degrees B: Mickey Mouse Degrees C: Foundation Degrees

Although they will not start yet, the government has indicated it is interested in the wholesale exam reforms proposed by the independent task force headed by Mike Tomlinson. What sort of exams are being considered as a replacement for GCSEs and A-levels?

A: A multi-level diploma B: O-levels and School Certificate C: The International Baccalaureate

This year's English and maths test results for 11 year olds in England showed no improvement on last year and fell below the national targets for 2002. In this 'post-spin' age, how was this presented by the Department for Education?

A: "Record-breaking performance" B: "Stand-still results at age 11" C: "National targets missed"

 Press the button and see how you have done