Date: 17/08/2020   |   Category - Lifelong Learning, News

Welsh local government believes that the use of teacher assessments – Centre Assessed Grades – is the only fair way of determining A level, AS level and GCSE grades this year and is calling on the Education Minister to implement this policy change immediately even if it delays Thursday’s GCSE results. This approach should also be applied retrospectively and with urgency to all A’ level and AS grades.

Now that the full picture of A’ level and AS results across Wales is clearer, the WLGA believes that the approach adopted by Qualifications Wales- the regulator- in determining A’ level and AS grades has been arbitrary and has focused on the needs of institutions rather than individual learners. It has created confusion and concern and has been unfair, it has not given individual learners the results they expected and would probably have achieved had they sat the exams. We need to put learners at the heart of the process and trust in the teaching profession, as no one knows learners and their performance better than their teachers.

This matter must be resolved with urgency to enable A level students from Wales to access university places as soon as possible and to avoid the same situation with GCSE results later this week.

Cllr Ian Roberts, WLGA Education Spokesperson said:

“The WLGA Leader and I met with the Education Minister on Thursday morning, and we highlighted emerging local anomalies and concerns; clearly these are not just local concerns but there are systemic issues and we therefore call for an urgent review of grades, and the awarding of Thursday’s GCSE results to be based on the CAGs (Centre Assessed Grades).”

“I and Cabinet Members for Education met with WJEC and Qualifications Wales earlier this summer and we raised concerns and sought assurances about the fairness of the proposed system. We were particularly concerned given part of the evidence to be used would have been historical data and performance which would favour learners and schools where performance had been strong, but would depress the outcomes for individual learners whose schools had not performed well in the past. We will be feeding our views into the recalled Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee’s discussions tomorrow.”

The WLGA is also calling for a review of Qualifications Wales and whether or not the organisation is fit for purpose.

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