A-levels: 22,000 sign petition seeking grade change in Wales

A petition calling for college students to obtain trainer predicted examination grades has been signed by 22,000 individuals.

It was arrange after 42% of A-level grades predicted by lecturers have been lowered by the exams watchdog.

College students, sporting masks and holding placards, protested towards the system outdoors the Senedd on Sunday.

Schooling Minister Kirsty Williams has confirmed appeals can be allowed if “there may be proof” pupils ought to have acquired larger grades.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, exams have been cancelled this 12 months, with college students’ remaining grades based mostly on lecturers’ estimations.

Outcomes total improved on 2019 figures for the very prime grades and at grades A* to C.

However 42% have been downgraded by exams watchdog, {Qualifications} Wales, after it judged the grades have been “too beneficiant”.

On Wednesday, hours earlier than college students came upon their outcomes, the training minister assured that no-one would get a decrease grade in their A-level than they achieved in their AS outcome.

The petition needs all college students receiving grades this 12 months to be given these predicted by lecturers, with GCSE outcomes due on Thursday.

It mentioned the grades course of “doesn’t deal with Welsh college students as people”.

“It will drawback Welsh younger individuals in their future life possibilities, which is unfair,” it mentioned.

Plaid Cymru training spokeswoman Sian Gwenllian advised BBC Radio Wales Sunday Complement programme that GCSE college students “should be actually nervous now, trying ahead to Thursday and pondering gosh, you understand, am I gonna be downgraded too?”

‘Chaos’

Some A-level college students have spoken of getting outcomes as much as two grades decrease than predicted, and being rejected by universities after not assembly required grades.

Ms Gwenllian, who represents Arfon in the Senedd, mentioned: “It is fairly apparent that this moderation system has thrown up all this chaos.”

First 12 months A-Stage scholar Cai Parry, from Cardiff, who has organised the protest in Cardiff Bay on Sunday, mentioned the grades appeals course of was “too little too late” for these attempting to safe college locations in September.

“I hope that trainer assessed grades can be totally instated,” he mentioned.

The Welsh Parliament is on its summer time break, however the Kids, Younger Folks and Schooling Committee has been recalled and can meet on Tuesday.

The examination board WJEC is about to stipulate additional particulars on the method to submit appeals early in the week.

The Welsh Authorities mentioned greater than 4,000 college students would profit from the assure that no remaining grade can be decrease than an AS grade.

“That is round 15% of all A-level college students and makes a major distinction to the general impression of variations between remaining grades and centre assessed grades,” mentioned a spokesperson.

“Even earlier than the AS ground, 94% of the grades are the identical as or inside one grade of the centre assessed grades.”

The spokesperson mentioned Qualification Wales and the WJEC would share the complete particulars however appeals might now be made the place there was proof of inner assessments judged by the varsity or school to be at a better grade than the grade awarded.