Picture caption Exams have been cancelled after faculties have been closed in March
Hundreds of scholars are getting A-level grades in Wales, amid main final minute modifications to results.
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Exams have been cancelled attributable to coronavirus with grades being calculated utilizing academics’ estimates and a system to standardise results throughout faculties.
However an outcry in Scotland after hundreds have been downgraded sparked modifications in different elements of the UK.
Welsh pupils have now been promised their grades can’t be no decrease than their earlier AS grades.
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The 11th hour transfer on Wednesday adopted related bulletins by ministers in England and Scotland.
Schooling Minister Kirsty Williams mentioned she needed to be sure that these modifications didn’t drawback Welsh college students, and so she was giving a assure {that a} ultimate A-level grade can’t be decrease than a pupil’s AS grade
“This may imply – and I’ve acquired assurances from Ucas and universities – that college students can communicate with confidence to their potential universities concerning their A-level grades,” Ms Williams added.
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A-level high grades in Wales
A and A* results – together with 2021 estimate
What has been the issue?
The {qualifications} watchdog discovered that the estimated grades by academics had been too beneficiant in Wales.
Should you take a look at the final 10 years, often a few quarter of grades are on the high – final yr it was round 27%, when document numbers of pupils obtained A and A*s.
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However {Qualifications} Wales discovered if it had gone together with the estimates for this summer season then greater than 40% would have been A and A* grades.
The watchdog mentioned that was “beneficiant”. So aiming to maintain the integrity of the {qualifications} – for the sake of employers and universities – and to be honest to college students, {Qualifications} Wales revised the results.
It mentioned nearly all of college students would get the identical as the unique evaluation grade whereas the rest would get a decrease grade, with a “small proportion” getting grades two ranges or extra decrease than the evaluation.
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The watchdog says it has additionally been monitoring to make sure the exams are honest in phrases of deprived teams and gender gaps.
However these are extraordinary occasions, with faculties closed and pupils unable to sit down the exams that they had labored for.
As soon as ministers in England and Scotland had stepped in to overrule the standard examination moderation practices it was inevitable that Wales must observe swimsuit.
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Schooling skilled Gareth Evans, from the College of Wales Trinity Saint David, mentioned some college students would nonetheless surprise if they could have carried out higher than anticipated.
“Whereas it should probably be of some consolation to those that carried out nicely on the midway stage of their A-levels, it is going to be of scant comfort to these pinning their hopes on boosting scores on the finish of the course,” he mentioned.
“Points with the bogus moderation of grades allotted by academics stays. The appropriate of pupils to problem their grades as applicable is completely important.”
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Why is Wales completely different to Scotland and England?
In Wales, AS exams taken earlier have been cited as dependable proof in direction of estimating A-level efficiency.
{Qualifications} Wales has additionally been pointed out that there are variations in how A-level programs are designed and in addition the info used to calculate the grades.
In Scotland, the row over the downgrading of results for Larger exams has affected 75,000 pupils, with claims the tactic unfairly penalised pupils at faculties which had traditionally not carried out as nicely.
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The Scottish authorities has now promised all pupils would get the grades predicted by academics.
In England, pupils have now been promised their ultimate results shall be no decrease than their mock exams – with an choice in the enchantment system of a resit introduced ahead to the autumn.
A key distinction between Wales and England is that English pupils will be capable of resit in the autumn if they’re sad with their grades.
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There aren’t any exams for Welsh pupils in October, though the standard GCSE Maths, Welsh and English exams are attributable to go forward in November.
Picture copyright PA Media
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Picture caption This pupil in Glasgow will get her results by textual content message
How will pupils get their results?
Many pupils shall be receiving their A-level, AS, BTEC and Welsh Bacc results in faculties and schools however with social distancing and security measures in place.
Different faculties shall be offering results by way of electronic mail or cellphone calls.
However most pupils can have the chance to make appointments to debate results with academics ought to they need to.
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Swansea Council mentioned faculties had chosen to launch the results in alternative ways and “these shall be immediately communicated with pupils and their households”.
“Some faculties shall be offering the results in the standard method with pupils attending faculty at staggered occasions to make sure bodily distancing,” the council mentioned.
“Others, significantly with massive numbers, will present the results on to their pupils electronically”.
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Monmouthshire mentioned its secondary faculties can be sharing results electronically after which offering recommendation and assist to college students in socially-distanced appointments or nearly.
On Anglesey, faculties deliberate to offer results on web site, “whereas defending the well being and security of employees and learners”.
College students who’ve utilized for a college place might get affirmation of whether or not they’ve their grades earlier than getting affirmation of grades.
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Picture caption The Welsh Joint Schooling Committee (WJEC) in Cardiff is the primary examination board and can deal with appeals
Can I enchantment?
{Qualifications} Wales has been requested to shortly make any related changes to the appeals course of and liaise with different examination regulators.
Its recommendation to pupils getting results is:
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In case your A-level grade is identical or larger than your AS degree, then no motion is required.
If the grade is decrease it is going to be changed with the identical grade as that acquired for the AS degree – and revised grades shall be issued by WJEC as quickly as doable.
If wanted, college students can contact their potential college to advise them of the change.
As issues stand, appeals need to be made by means of a college or faculty, reasonably than direct to the WJEC examination board – and there are restricted grounds. These are restricted to the method – such because the examination board utilizing the incorrect knowledge to calculate a ultimate grade.
It won’t enable faculties and schools to rethink their estimated grades or rating of pupils. If different errors are highlighted by means of an enchantment, the opposite pupils affected won’t see their grades lowered, the examination board has mentioned.
There was concern about how the “standardisation” course of appears to be like at faculties and schools’ earlier results.
In Wales, this doesn’t apply to the method for A-levels, the Welsh Bacc and a few GCSEs the place you have already got a variety of exhausting knowledge from earlier evaluation – akin to AS ranges – to work from.
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However common results from 2017-19 are taken into consideration when standardising most GCSEs. Colleges might enchantment to the WJEC in the event that they assume there have been important circumstances or occasions in these earlier years which could carry the typical down.
Nevertheless, presently there isn’t a scope for pupils to enchantment towards the grade they got by their faculty or faculty – the Centre Evaluation Grade (CAG).
If pupils have considerations about bias or discrimination in allocating these grades, they will enchantment to the WJEC and a course of much like a malpractice grievance can be adopted, however these are anticipated to be uncommon.
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In different years there will be requests for examination scripts to be reviewed, however that is clearly not an choice when no exams have been taken.
The minister has introduced, nonetheless, that the enchantment course of shall be free for all college students.
{Qualifications} Wales has set a 17 September deadline for preliminary critiques and then a 42-day deadline for appeals to be dealt with by the WJEC exam board. An extra impartial assessment is feasible.
Passionate news enthusiast with a flair for words. Our Editorial Team author brings you the latest updates, in-depth analysis, and engaging stories. Stay informed with their well-researched articles.
Florida has become the first State in the US to ban laboratory grown meat. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Wednesday which bans the sale of any form of lab grown meat. The bill is clearly a move to appease the state’s cattle industry.
In a statement the state’s commissioner of agriculture said it was protecting the interests of the state’s farmers as well as the integrity of American agriculture. The lab grown meat ban is also one of the many other pet causes of DeSantis.
DeSantis said just after the bill was signed,
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“Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,”
In a press release it was said that Florida was negating the World Economic Forum’s goal of forcing the world to eat lab-grown meat and insects.
However it must be remembered that lab grown meat is still not available for the consumers. Lab grown meat is harvested from animal cells and the FDA has given approval to two entities Upside Food and Good Meat to make the lab grown meat. The two companies also do not have any outlets to sell this meat. Till date only two high end restaurants China Chilcano, Chef José Andrés’ high-end Peruvian restaurant in Washington, DC, and Bar Crenn, a Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco have served lab grown meat to the consumers. However both these restaurants have stopped featuring the lab grown meat on their menu.
The lab grown meat industry has not even started competing with the farmers but it seems the ban is a way to preempt any such possibility. A section of the population believes that the move is a consequence of a conspiracy theory which stated that the “globalists” are forcing people to eat bugs and live in pods. This theory is also known as the “Great Reset,” which was first coined in 2020 after a World Economic Forum initiative that urged governments to use the pandemic to promote sustainable development. The Right Wing experts connected it with a 2016 World Economic Forum blog post which talked about the possible use of bug protein and a 2013 book about insect farming published by the United Nations.
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Lab Grown or cultivated meats are harvested in bioreactors using cells from animals. Startups are working on chicken, fish and beef meat. The promoters of lab grown meat contend that the process will in the long run significantly lower the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing meat. The process of making lab grown meat involves extracting living cells from an animal and feeding it with nutrients such as proteins, sugars and fats. The final product is much akin to traditionally produced meat in taste as well as composition.
For example the Los Angeles startup Meat uses the plasma of cows to grow meat for ground beef. It takes about three years to raise a cow to 300 kilograms of meat. However 2000 kg of meat can be produced in a year from a single cow’s plasma and there is no need to slaughter the animal also.
However lab grown meat is extremely energy intensive and the startups have not been able to scale up the production and bring the price down.
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The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, an association which represents the traditional meat producers have vehemently opposed cultivated meat citing safety concerns and have been lobbying to prevent the lab grown meat to be referred as beef.
Good Meat, a lab grown Meat Company which is the first in the world to sell lab-grown meat, wrote on X it was “disappointed” by the new Florida law.
Southern Brazil experienced heavy rains which have caused destruction in the area. Due to heavy rains, a hydroelectric dam located in the Rio Grande do Sul state collapsed.
Due to this, over 30 people met their ultimate demise in the disaster. The BBC has reported that more than 60 people are also reported missing.
Since Saturday, more than 15000 people have been forcibly evacuated from their houses as the rescue efforts intensify.
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Dam Collapse Causes Chaos
The hydroelectric dam collapse between the Bento Gonçalves and Cotiporã resulted in a two-meter wave. As a result, it worsened the critical situation in the flood-stricken areas.
Emergency responders and residents both panicked hard as the difficulties were exacerbated.
This Brazil flooding is described as one of the worst in recent history. Almost 500,000 people were devoid of critical resources, such as access to clean water and electricity.
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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian President, responded to the chaos and extended the central government’s support. Rescue operations were carried out in multiple municipalities as per urgent orders given by Governor Eduardo Leite.
Helicopters were also sent if any person is trapped and needs evacuation. Due to heavy destruction, aerial winching has been proved to be the most effective means of extraction.
Cause Of Heavy Rain and Flood
Meteorologists studied the cause and announced that the level of unprecedented rainfall intensity can be attributed to higher-than-average temperatures coupled with upgrading humidity and strong winds.
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Thus, El Niño worsened Southern Brazil’s situation and its extreme weather conditions.
According to The Economic Times, Forecasters from the meteorological department predicted the continued rainfall “with the passage of a cold front, Rio Grande do Sul’s communities’ resilience is being tested to the limit.”
Internet trends sometimes get infiltrated by games that result in dangerous situations for those involved. We had Blue Whale and then Pokémon Go, and now we have “Senior Assassin.” In this game, players receive a target and must eliminate them using water guns, paintball guns, and other similar items.
Warning Issued Against Dangerous Game ‘Senior Assassin’
The target is a real person. The game has gone so far that participants are running and chasing people in public, including outside school boundaries. The stakes have been raised as people now carry fake firearms resembling real ones while chasing others for the game. Although the game did not originate from TikTok, videos of participants “eliminating” their targets have gone viral on the platform.
Recently, a group of high school students was running around with fake firearms when they encountered a licensed gun owner. The police have stated that this game can lead to dangerous situations because someone with a real gun might feel threatened and end up shooting someone without knowing the full context.
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Tragically, the game has already caused the death of a boy. Six-year-old Justin Johnson, who had sickle cell disease, was lured out of his room by the trend, while others began chasing him with toy guns. After a few moments, Justin suffered heart palpitations, prompting his father to call for help.
Unfortunately, Justin had stopped breathing by the time help arrived. The family’s lawyers are now pursuing legal action against the “Senior Assassin” game, which they believe caused Justin’s death. “It’s supposed to be a game that involves individuals trying to tag other individuals with water guns or pellet guns or paintball guns,” claimed the lawyer during the hearing of this case.
Investigations are ongoing, and the police have issued a warning about the dangers associated with the game.
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