Simon Thomas · @SimonThomasAber
21st Feb 2013 from Twitlonger
Statement on separate English GCSEs in Wales: how it shows Welsh gov failure.
‘Separate English GCSE for Wales an admission of dereliction of duty by Welsh Government’
Shadow Education Minister for Plaid Cymru Simon Thomas has said that the Education Minister’s decision to establish a separate English GSCE exam this year in Wales is an admission of abject failure by the Minister and his department during last summer’s English GCSE’s debacle.
The Mid and West AM said: “This announcement blows away the last cobwebs hiding the Welsh government’s embarrassment at last summer’s fiasco. They agreed then to use English predictors to the detriment of Welsh students and then had to backtrack over the summer. This year their answer is to have separate marking and assessment of English GCSEs in Wales. They let the pupils of Wales down last summer and there is now no certainty that external bodies will accept the Welsh GCSEs as being equal value as there is no agreement with the independent regulator in England.
“The decision of the High Court NOT to overturn the regulator’s decision in England leaves the impression that the English system has got the grading right. Now the Welsh government is departing from the three country system of regulation but importantly doing this without an independent regulator to pass judgement on the merits of the case.
Mr Thomas added: “The Welsh government should proceed apace with the recommendation of the Qualifications Review to establish an independent examination regulator for Wales, Qualifications Wales. The next step that is proposed – to bring the WJEC into that body – should be explored and planned by that independent regulator and not by the Welsh government whose decision-making has been faulty and slack over the last 12 months.
“Welsh pupils are in this situation because of a fundamental dereliction of duty by the Welsh government last February. I know how many parents will feel now, confused and uncertain about the value of English GCSE in Wales, as I am one of those parents.
The Welsh Government has outlined the awarding arrangements for GCSE English Language in 2013.
The Welsh Government has issued new conditions including:
• all January marks will be awarded in the summer
• set separate assessments for learners in Wales taking GCSE English Language units in June 2013
• hold separate award meetings for those learners in Wales and set grade boundaries which lead to comparable outcomes with 2011.
• the WJEC will issue one certificate per candidate in Wales.