New GCSE grade ‘could leave Welsh students behind’
A NEW GCSE grade in England – already dubbed an equivalent to an A** – could put pupils in Wales at a disadvantage, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservative shadow education secretaries have warned.
Teenagers in England will be able to get a new grade 9 when they pick up their GCSE results this week, two grades above a grade 7 which is the closest equivalent to an A in England’s new numeric grading system.
Exam regulators have urged people not to compare the numberic grades to the letter grades, which are still being used in Wales and Northern Ireland.
But many, including head teachers in England, are describing the grade 9 as equivalent to an A** as a smaller proportion of teenagers will achieve it than used to be awarded an A*.
Darren Millar, Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Secretary, said the new grade may lead people to think GCSE qualifications across the border are harder.
He said: “International league tables have already ranked Wales at the bottom of the UK education league table, so while GCSEs are a tried and tested brand, there may be a perception that the new qualifications in England are tougher than the examination regime here. This perception could put Welsh students at a distinct disadvantage to their peers elsewhere in the UK when seeking employment or access to further and higher education.
“Unless employers can be assured that grades awarded for qualifications here are comparable to those in England then there could be dire consequences for the future of our young people and the Welsh economy.”
Plaid Cymru Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education Llyr Gruffydd said:“The Welsh Government needs to make sure that students from Wales will not be at a disadvantage as they move on to further education because of how their grades are ranked.
“There is also a danger that the new grading system in England will create confusion for employers and higher education institutions as they recruit. England’s decision to change the way it marks grades will certainly make it more difficult for us to compare Wales’ performance with other nations.”
But Wales’ cabinet secretary for education Kirsty Williams said: “This is scaremongering at best and inaccurate at worst. Wales’ grading system is well established, well understood by business and the education sector and no Welsh students will be put at a disadvantage. This year’s GCSE results are a test for the new system in England not Wales.
“Our GCSEs are quality assured at a UK level by independent regulators to make sure they are comparable to qualifications from the other nations. Our grading system and the robustness of our qualifications are clear, the confusion seems to be coming from elsewhere.”
The body regulating all non-degree qualifications, Qualifications Wales and its equivalent in England, Ofqual – are adamant there is no A** across the border and a 9 should not be viewed as such. However, the same proportion of students who currently gain an A or A* will be awarded a grade 7 or higher in England – meaning that a grade 9 appears to be two grades higher than an A.
Quals Wales says GCSEs are of equal value in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and that universities will see them as equal.
But the change in England is causing confusion and worry, say head teachers there.
Heads of leading English schools said their pupils were aiming for grade nine, even though grade eight is the equivalent of an A*.