20th September 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
This week Welsh education minister Leighton Andrews ordered the WJEC exam board to regrade GCSE English exams taken in Wales, stating that the students should not suffer from the injustice of the exam marking crisis. The regrade will result in some Welsh students moving from a D grade to C, which would mean they are now able to pursue A’ Levels and join 6th form colleges to continue their education.
Education Secretary Michael Gove condemned the decision as “irresponsible and mistaken”, saying that it would undermine the confidence of employers in the value of the students’ qualifications. The English qualifications watchdog Ofqual has ruled out changing grades in England, meaning that English students who were awarded the same marks as their Welsh counterparts could now have lower grades than Welsh students.
Teachers’ Unions have praised the decision of the Welsh education minister, and have accused Michael Gove of burying his head in the sand over the issue.