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A-level results Wales: Labour backbench revolt against downgrading

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A-level results Wales: Labour backbench revolt against downgrading

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Training Minister Kirsty Williams met college students at Merthyr School on results day

The best way some A-level downgrades have been determined is “unbelievable”, a Labour Member of the Senedd has mentioned.

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Swansea East MS Mike Hedges mentioned he knew of pupils receiving a decrease than predicted grade “with none samples of their work being checked”.

He and his Labour colleague David Rees are calling for a evaluation of the system after 42% of ultimate grades have been lowered from trainer estimates.

Training Minister Kirsty Williams mentioned the system was honest and “very strong”.

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A Welsh Authorities spokesman mentioned it expects to offer extra info on the appeals course of subsequent week.

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Mr Rees, who represents Aberavon, advised BBC Wales he was conscious of particular person circumstances the place downgrading didn’t “mirror the scholars’ means”.

“We do have to evaluation it and guarantee ourselves no scholar has been unfairly handled,” he mentioned.

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Media captionBradley Desmier was predicted a B, C and a advantage however bought a D, E and a go

Cardiff Central MS Jenny Rathbone mentioned info she had been given steered giant colleges serving deprived pupils had been “hammered by inexplicable reductions in grades”.

And Mr Hedges mentioned pupils needs to be given their predicted grades “until there’s a good motive to not”.

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“[It is] unbelievable that they downgraded candidates with out seeing any of their work,” he mentioned.

“There must be an instantaneous evaluation – it’s younger folks’s futures we’re speaking about.”

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PA Media

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Exams have been cancelled after colleges have been closed in March

Labour’s Lynne Neagle MS, who chairs the cross-party Senedd training committee, mentioned the method was a “matter of serious concern for learners, their mother and father and carers, and training employees”.

“We’re contemplating our subsequent steps as a committee rigorously, and we’re dedicated to holding the federal government and public our bodies to account on the approaches adopted in response to this pandemic,” Ms Neagle mentioned.

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“Equity, accuracy and readability should be offered for all our younger individuals who have been as a result of take examinations this yr.

“Their wellbeing and their means to plan for his or her future studying and careers should be on the centre of our pondering.”

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A pupil from Swansea checking her results on Thursday

One other Labour MS, Pontypridd’s Mick Antoniw, mentioned he was assembly head lecturers in his space to “focus on their issues”.

The Labour-led Welsh Authorities introduced on Thursday college students sad with their grades will be capable of enchantment freed from cost.

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Plaid Cymru had been calling for that, and the celebration’s training spokeswoman Sian Gwenllian mentioned the appeals process should now be “strong and impartial”.

“GCSE pupils awaiting their results subsequent week should be handled with extra compassion than the scholars acquiring their A-level grades and any modifications must be introduced sooner reasonably than later,” she added.

Enchantment grounds

A Welsh Authorities spokesman mentioned about 94% of the grades have been the identical or inside one grade of these college students have been predicted to realize.

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“That is earlier than any changes are made because of the AS [level] ground introduced yesterday by the minister for training,” he added.

“We now have additionally requested {Qualifications} Wales to contemplate whether or not the grounds for enchantment could be broadened for all A-level, AS-level and GCSE {qualifications} and we count on to offer extra info on this subsequent week.

“No scholar from Wales needs to be deprived against different UK college students.

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“We’re happy that, following the publication of the results at present, UCAS have reported the very best variety of Welsh learners being supplied a spot at college since 2011.”

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