Union blasts colleges for Welsh Bacc ‘inconsistency’
SOME schools are considering making the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate non-compulsory in sixth form because they are losing pupils to FE colleges where they are not required to do it, an education union says.
UCAC (the Wales education union Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru) says some pupils are leaving Welsh-medium schools to follow English-medium courses at colleges. The Wales-only qualification is not compulsory by law, but schools are encouraged to run it and receive funding from the Welsh Government to do so.
A letter from the Welsh Government official with responsibility for the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (AWBQ) shows that it, too, is aware of the issue of colleges wooing pupils with the promise of not having to study it.
In response to a letter from Cymdeithas Ysgolion dros Addysg Gymraeg – the Association of Welsh Schools for Welsh-Medium Education – Steve Vincent, deputy director of the Welsh Government school effectiveness division, says: “We are aware that a small number of sixth forms/colleges are not expecting learners to take the Advanced WBQ and using this as a way of attracting students from other areas. I understand your concerns and the concerns of your members and fully appreciate the potential impact.”
Gower College confirmed it does not require students take the AWBQ.
Nick Brazil, deputy principal at Gower College Swansea, said: “The Welsh Baccalaureate is not compulsory for our students, but it is an option – alongside a wide range of subject choices – should they wish to study it.
“Gower College Swansea offers the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification at A-level.
“The Welsh Baccalaureate is also offered as part of our Level 3 vocational provision in some learning areas.
“This year, around 800 students are studying the Welsh Baccalaureate at the college. As a college, we pride ourselves on student choice, offering over 40 A-level subjects and over 40 vocational subject choices.”
The controversy comes as a review of the Welsh Bacc is due to be published by Qualifications Wales before the end of the month.
And the matter will be debated at UCAC’s annual conference this week.
Rebecca Williams, policy officer for UCAC, said: “We understand that a number of schools in west Wales are considering making the Welsh Baccalaureate non-compulsory post-16, mainly because at least one local FE college has already done so and is using it as a selling-point.
“Schools are reportedly losing sixth-form pupils to the college for exactly this reason. In some cases, this means leaving Welsh-medium education to follow English-medium courses.”
The union, which represents teachers, headteachers and tutors in Wales, is calling on the Welsh Government to make clear its policy on the Wales-only qualification.
A motion going to UCAC’s conference, put forward by UCAC’s National Council, calls on the conference to note “inconsistency in the post-16 education sector in Wales in relation to implementing the Welsh Baccalaureate, a qualification that should be ‘universally adopted’ in the words of the Welsh Government.”
The motion goes on to say: “There is currently a situation where some sixth-form colleges, secondary schools and further education colleges do not offer it and, in some circumstances, use it as a marketing tool to attract students from secondary schools that implement the government’s policy of introducing the qualification to all students.
“As a result, in some situations, this means a loss of students from Welshmedium secondary schools to the English-medium sector.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The AWBQ is not statutory. However, for many it is invaluable in helping young people develop the skills they need for further study and work. That is why we expect schools and colleges to offer it to those learners who will benefit.
“The Cabinet Secretary has written to all post-16 settings to make this expectation clear and note that we will monitor them.
“The AWBQ is recognised as comparable in challenge to an A-level and receives the same number of UCAS points. The majority of Russell Group Universities will accept it or take it into account when making an offer.
“We are aware that a number of universities such as the University of Bath and Warwick University are actually lowering grade offers for students who have achieved high grades in their advanced Welsh Bacc. Qualifications Wales will be publishing their review of the Welsh Baccalaureate shortly.”
A Qualifications Wales spokesman said : “We’ve commissioned a review looking at the design of the Skills Challenge Certificate element of the Welsh Bacc and how it is working in practice.
“The review was conducted jointly by Wavehill Social and Economic Research Limited and the Institute of Education at University College London. We will publish the findings of the report before the end of April.”
Education Minister Kirsty Williams is due to address the UCAC annual conference in Nant Gwrtheyrn, Llithfaen, on Friday and Saturday.