Welsh Bacc ‘hits pupils’ uni offers’

STUDENTS studying the Welsh Baccalaureate at A-level may be disadvantaging their chances of attending elite universities, a Conservative AM has warned after being told the three highest ranking UK universities made no offers which include the qualification.

Darren Millar, Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Secretary, is calling for the Welsh Government target for all students in Wales to do the Welsh Bacc to be abandoned.

In 2017, Oxford and Cambridge universities made 153 conditional offers to Welsh students, none of which included Welsh Baccalaureate, they told the AM under a Freedom of Information request.

Imperial College London did not disclose how many conditional offers it had awarded Welsh students, but confirmed it does not routinely make offers that include Welsh Baccalaureate.

Out of 19 Russell Group universities which responded to the AM’s request for information, 14 universities made more conditional offers that did not include Welsh Baccalaureate than those which did, he said.

Although not compulsory, the Welsh Government encourages schools to ensure that all pupils take the Welsh Baccalaureate, and has given the sector a 100% pupil take-up target by 2020.

A spokesman for the Welsh Government said that the qualification was “invaluable in helping young people develop the skills they need for further study and work”.

Mr Millar said: “While many top universities – Oxford and Cambridge included – might say they recognise the Welsh Baccalaureate, these figures suggest that they don’t regard the qualification to be of equal value to an A-level. We already know that Welsh enrolments into Russell Group universities are down by almost 10% this year. The Welsh Government should abandon its target as a matter of urgency.”

South East Wales AM Mark Reckless recently wrote to the head of a Newport comprehensive school on behalf of a prospective Cambridge student asking for the pupil to be allowed not to sit the Welsh Baccalaureate. He said: “Students applying for Oxford or Cambridge should not have to take the Welsh Baccalaureate.”

Last month Russell Group universities told our website Wales Online they were divided over the value of the Welsh Bacc.

One top Russell Group institution – Durham University – said the qualification simply wasn’t “comparable” with an A-level and it didn’t accept it. Warwick also said it does not accept it. But others accept it to some extent.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Qualifications Wales will be publishing a review of the Welsh Baccalaureate in the autumn term.”