Protests across Wales over ‘unfair’ WJEC exams

PARENTS and school governors have complained about this summer’s “unfair” WJEC exams in Wales after pupils reportedly walked out of exams “in tears”. One governor of a school in Cardiff said her school has written to complain to exam board the WJEC about A level questions and an A level chemistry practical with content she claimed should not have been there, WalesOnline reports.

The National Association of Headteachers Cymru said heads are doing their best to “restore confidence” in the system after multiple complaints while Education Minister Jeremy Miles took to Twitter to say: “I want to reassure learners sitting exams that you will be treated fairly.”

The WJEC was forced to apologise on June 8 after set text questions were missed off the A level English language and literature A level on June 7. Officials insisted candidates would not be disadvantaged but said they would wait until results day in August to determine what had gone wrong.

Candidates and teachers have also claimed that both a maths A level and AS exam included content they were told would not be there and that questions were far harder than pre-Covid papers - there have also been complaints about A level chemistry and music.

In response to the apology over missing pages in an English paper and what she described as “continued confusion with maths”, NAHT Cymru director Laura Doel said: “We will continue to highlight any issues raised to the WJEC and we take some reassurance that the WJEC will take these concerns into consideration when setting grade boundaries.

“However, this will not repair the damaged confidence of pupils who may have struggled to perform at their best in examinations as a result of any confusion.”

The WJEC declined to comment on new complaints but has insisted this year’s exams are fair.

After the mistake with the English language and literature exam the board apologised and said it was a “rare occurrence” which is being taken very seriously.