STUDENTS’ FATES IN TEACHERS’ HANDS
Grades will be based on whole of course as exams are scrapped again
GCSE, AS-level and A-level students in Wales will receive grades determined by their teachers, the Welsh Government has announced.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams previously scrapped the 2021 end-of-year exams following the disruption to schools caused by the pandemic.
She has now announced students will receive grades from their school or college based on work they have completed over the length of their course.
“The worsening situation with the pandemic has meant we have no choice but to revisit our approach to ensure wellbeing and public confidence in our qualifications system,” the minister said.
“The proposals we are announcing today puts trust in teachers and lecturers’ knowledge of their learners’ work, as well as their commitment to prioritise teaching and learning in the time available to support learners’ progression.
“Teaching the core content and aspects of each course remains my absolute priority for learners in exam years, so they are supported to progress with certainty into their next steps, with confidence in their grades.
“We are working with higher education institutions to look at how we can support learners through this transition and can provide a bridge into university.”
Ms Williams made the decision based on recommendations from an advisory group consisting of head teachers and college leaders, which was established in December.
Teaching unions said some form of centre-based assessment was inevitable after the end-of-year exams were scrapped.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “It is vital that the Welsh Government recognises that teachers and school and college leaders are already working under extraordinary pressure.
“It is incumbent on the Welsh Government to make clear to schools and colleges they will need to provide teachers and school leaders with the time and space they will require to build appropriate processes to ensure accurate assessments.
“Teachers and school leaders must also be assured they will be given unambiguous and objective criteria against which to assess candidates so students and centres can be sure about how grades will be awarded.”
Members of the National Education Union Cymru welcomed the announcement as it placed “more trust in teachers and lecturers”.
Mairead Canavan, Hannah O’Neill and Neil Foden, who are members of the union’s Welsh executive, said: “This announcement should place more certainty for everyone involved – both students and staff alike.
“The last 10 months has been incredibly challenging for everyone in education.
“We are keen that there is no repeat of the position we all found ourselves in last summer.
“We are always concerned that exams do not fully reflect the potential of young people in the system, and are especially pleased that there are no plans to use an unfair algorithm this year.”
Conservative shadow education minister Suzy Davies said: “While this WJEC-designed framework is not what we had hoped for, and is not as good as a more formal externally set and marked programme, it’s a solid attempt to preserve consistency and quality of not just testing but also assessing.
“It’s also an acknowledgment that online learning hasn’t been cutting the mustard, despite a slimmed-down syllabus and some excellent examples of schools doing that really well.”