Minister issues ‘unreserved apology’ to students over grading fiasco
WALES’ education minister has apologised “directly and unreservedly” for the effect the country’s controversial Alevel grading system had on students.
Kirsty Williams said anxieties over the decision to use statistical models to award exam results had exacerbated the “anguish” students were already experiencing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Williams’ apology came after Health Minister Vaughan Gething had admitted earlier yesterday that there were “imperfections” with the nowaborted system.
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.
Appearing via video before the Welsh Parliament’s recalled Children, Young People and Education Committee, Ms Williams said: “For our young people, just like everyone else, the last few months have been and continue to be a stressful time.
“Many of us will know people who’ve been ill or have lost someone. I certainly do. And it’s been a time of anguish for people right across the country. And I am sorry that for some of our young people, the results process has made that worse. That was not the intention of anyone. Not me, not Qualifications Wales, not teachers, not [exam board] WJEC.
“But it is right that I apologise directly and unreservedly to our young people.”
Ms Williams – the sole Lib Dem MS in the Welsh Labour-led Government – said “decisions elsewhere” in the UK to scrap similar models meant the “balance of fairness” was now with awarding grades based on teachers’ assessment.
She said she would make a statement next week on an independent review into the issues which have followed the cancellation of exams in schools and colleges due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Ms Williams said she first became aware that the nature of the system would downgrade some students from their predicted results on “Monday of last week”.
Her answer prompted Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Education Minister, Sian Gwenllian, to audibly gasp and say: “Bit late.”
And Ms Williams said she was not aware of any formal notification from the UK Government’s Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, that England was going to make its own U-turn on its grading system despite speaking to him on Saturday.
But Welsh Government sources told the PA news agency that the decision in Wales to scrap the grading system for A-levels and GCSEs was made in part due to the knowledge that Westminster was planning to follow Scotland and Northern Ireland in doing so.
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.
Mr Gething also apologised for the “anxiety or stress caused to learners or their families” due to the grading fiasco at yesterday’s Welsh Government Covid-19 press conference.
“I’m sorry for any anxiety or stress
caused to learners or their families in what has been an understandably difficult time for them and for our whole education system,” he said.
“We had a system we thought would work and be as fair as possible in these unprecedented circumstances. We recognise there were imperfections with it and we thought we were able to resolve that, but we’ve recognised we need to move on and we needed – in particular with the action in other parts of the UK – not to disadvantage young people and learners here in Wales.
“That’s why we made the decision we did yesterday – the right thing to do and even accepting that means that will be an element of grade inflation.
“There’s not a perfect choice to make here and it’s important none of us tries to pretend that there is a simple or obvious solution to the unprecedented times we have already faced, and I’m afraid that the unprecedented times we will undoubtedly face in the autumn and winter ahead.”
But he warned that students may not be sitting A-levels and GCSEs next summer either, and there was “much to learn and much to do ahead of next year”.
“We need to learn because next year we may not have a normal exam season either. I cannot look anyone in the eye and say that everything will be fine come next May and June,” Mr Gething said.
He told the briefing the review would identify lessons to be learnt for the Welsh Government, Qualifications Wales, exam boards and teachers.
“Having to do things that are generally unprecedented in a once-in-acentury event does mean that there are imperfections in choices we’ve made,” Mr Gething said.
“It’s really important we don’t try to say that everything was perfect and there’s no learning for us to take.
“Schools go back in just a few weeks’ time with all of the circumstances around the Test, Trace and Protect.
“I’m afraid there will be continuing uncertainty to live with, because next year we may have to have a different set of assessments for official exams that we sat many years ago.”
Meanwhile, the Welsh Government should fund university places to ensure no student loses out following the grading scandal, said Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price.
Mr Price said: “Despite the Welsh Government’s much-overdue U-turn yesterday, there will still be students who haven’t been able to secure their desired place in their firstchoice university because the course is now full.
“Had the Welsh Government only announced the U-turn sooner, students wouldn’t now find themselves stuck in this limbo.
“The Welsh Government’s mishandling led to this mess. They should now clean it up by funding university places in Wales to Welshdomiciled students to ensure that no-one who lost out because of unfair downgrading will miss out on a space on their desired course.
“At a time of heightened anxiety and unprecedented times – and in a year where the Welsh Government has actually cut the HEFCW grant – this is the very least they could do to right the wrong served to our young people over the past few weeks.”