Today's Western Mail reports on the continuing saga of Wales' poor English Language GCSE results. The paper presents a dossier of evidence compiled by headteachers at more than 100 schools evidencing the impact of the new marking system on pupils and teachers..
They say that headteachers’
union ASCL Cymru have reported that schools across Wales are “at a loss” as to what
to do after a sudden and unexplained dip in January’s GCSE English
language grades, which had left experienced staff questioning their
ability to teach.
The union says that results published last week put at risk
confidence in Wales’ exams system and warned that parents’ “faith in
teachers’ professionalism” was being eroded after wild variations in
pupil performance:
It said pupils and teachers had been left in tears by their GCSE
English language results - and some schools had employed tactics
normally associated with pupil bereavement to soften the blow.
The
union has taken representation from more than 100 secondary schools,
which includes four independent schools and others deemed by education
watchdog Estyn to be “sector-leading”.
One headteacher said they
were “deeply concerned” after their school’s A*-C pass rate fell
woefully short of expectations, from a predicted 56% to just 31%.
They
said recent developments had made forward-planning “impossible” and
called for a swift resolution to a problem that threatens to spiral out
of control.
They added: “As someone with long experience examining
with the WJEC (exam board), I am greatly concerned that the system is
now becoming increasingly unreliable. I have already been asked for
predictions about the summer and this is an impossible task.
What is most bizarre however is the aggressive and ill-judged response of the education minister to theses concerns, in particular a letter sent to him and endorsed by all Rhondda Cynon Taf’s 19
secondary schools, which suggested parents and pupils are “gradually losing
faith in a once-reliable examination system”. The letter calls on the Welsh
Government to allow pupils to re-sit the English language exam in the
summer free of charge.
The Minister has responded by accusing the
contributors of “reckless scare-mongering” and claimed the impact of
adverse grades was “not severe across all schools”. He added: “I refuse
to jump to conclusions. What I am focussing on is hard evidence, not
hearsay and rumour.”
In contrast it seems that the person jumping to conclusions here is the Minister. These are professionals expressing genuine and evidenced concerns. To dismiss their letter so strongly and in such terms shows poor political judgement and a crass disregard for the review process he has set in place, which he appears to have pre-empted.
If the education minister is incapable of listening to teachers in a respectful manner then he is clearly in the wrong job.
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