Drakeford defends ‘integrity’ of A-level grading system following switch
FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford has defended Wales’s controversial grading system for A-levels and GCSEs after the Welsh Government was forced into a U-turn.
Like elsewhere in the UK, Welsh pupils will now be awarded results on the basis of teacher assessments rather than an algorithm following an outcry from students, teachers, unions and politicians.
In Wales, 42% of A-level results predicted by teachers were lowered by Qualifications Wales, leading to claims that its algorithm, which took into account the past performances of schools, had unfairly downgraded some pupils.
Yesterday, Mr Drakeford said he still believed Wales’ grading system had “integrity” and would have remained in place were it not for climbdowns by other UK administrations.
The First Minister told the PA news agency: “I believe our system had integrity, that it has independence and rigour in it.
“But once governments elsewhere in the United Kingdom decided to move away from that way of doing things and to rely on teacher assessments alone, young people in Wales would have been disadvantaged.
“We weren’t prepared for that to happen, and that’s why we’ve made
the decision we’ve made today.”
Asked if he regretted the distress caused to pupils whose places at universities were jeopardised by being downgraded from their teachers’ predictions, he said: “I am sorry that young people in Wales have had to live through such a period of uncertainty.
“But I do want young people in Wales to know that everything we have done as a government has been designed to protect and promote their best interests.”
He added: “We’ve changed our system to make sure there’s a level playing field so that young people in
Wales can compete with young people elsewhere from that fair basis.
“Making sure that the interests of young people are properly protected, properly promoted, has been the thing that has motivated this government throughout these last few days.”