P-05-958 Recent Decisions Regarding AS Grades 2020

P-05-958 Recent Decisions Regarding AS Grades 2020

Completed Petition

 

P-05-958 Recent Decisions Regarding AS Grades 2020

This petition was submitted by Sian Williams having collected a total of 219 signatures.

 

Text of Petition                      

A decision was recently made by Education Minister Kirsty Williams regarding AS Level qualifications 2020. The statement released says:

 

In summer 2021, current AS learners will have two options for their A level award. They will choose whether to:

- only sit the A2 units, with the A level grade based on their performance in the A2 units;

- or sit both the AS and A2 units. They will be awarded the best grade from either route.

 

However, this fails to take into consideration students that have worked extremely hard to achieve good predicted grades throughout the entirety of Year 12, and who were therefore prepared for upcoming exams, the first of which were due to begin in only four weeks from when this decision was made.

 

Year 12 would ordinarily contribute to 40% of the overall A Level grade.

 

If a student chooses to sit only A2 Units, as per the first option above, students will have worked tirelessly during Year 12 for 0% of their A Level grade, which has never previously been the case. This increases the pressure enormously for students continuing into Year 13 and contradicts the Minister’s hope of a “fair system” that aids a student’s “wellbeing”. Further, this extra pressure will not be accounted for in the future when the 2021 cohort of students compete for jobs with students credited by the much fairer system that has previously always been in place.

 

The second route of taking both AS and A2 units in 2021 not only means that Year 12 again contributes nothing to the A Level grade overall, but does not decrease the already immense pressures of Year 13 either. Instead, it simply places the entirety of the pressure from both years and combines them for exams in the Summer 2021 exam series.

 

This is not fair, and we shouldn’t be confused by the statements released into believing it is.

 

Additional Information

Education is a vital aspect of a student’s life, especially those who have decided to continue with A Levels, all of which require great determination and hard work, in the hope of achieving grades needed for future plans.

 

This time is stressful enough for students.

 

The last thing we need is a rushed decision that is ultimately detrimental to our future plans.

 

Both pathways offered will be disadvantageous for students.

 

We ask for this decision to be adjusted to take every student into account.

 

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Senedd Constituency and Region

  • Clwyd South
  • North Wales

 

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 17.07.20.

In light of the petitioner’s acceptance of the additional explanation provided by the Minister for Education and the fact that grades for the 2019/20 academic year are unlikely to be changed at this stage, the Committee agreed to close the petition and thank the petitioner as there is little further the Committee could achieve.

 

Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

 

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 12.05.20.

 

Further information

 

Business type: Petition

Reason considered: Senedd Business;

Status: Complete

First published: 30/04/2020