Parents and school governors have described the devastating effects of what they say are the “unfair” WJEC exams this summer in Wales. One mother said her 18-year-old son, who is usually confident and high-performing, returned home from his A-level math class, burst into tears and said, “My life is ruined. the University”.
A Cardiff school governor reported that students were leaving the exams in tears. She said her school has written to complain to the WJEC board about level A questions and a level A chemistry practice with content that she said should not have been there.
One mother said her 16-year-old daughter’s confidence was “on the ground” after an AS math article “had questions that didn’t look like anything they’d seen before,” while another went to say his teenager was sitting there “not knowing what to do.” do “when the set text questions were lost in the A-level English language and literature document.
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The National Association of Directors Cymru said leaders are doing their best to “restore confidence” in the system after multiple complaints, while Education Minister Jeremy Miles took to Twitter to calm down. “I want to reassure students that they are taking the exams that will treat you fairly.”
Complaints continue, as the WJEC was forced to apologize on June 8 after the established text questions were lost from Level A of English Language and Literature on June 7. Officials insisted the candidates would not be at a disadvantage, but said they would wait until the day of the August results to determine what had gone wrong.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles (Image: Western Mail and Eco)
Candidates and teachers have also stated that both a level A and an AS math exam included content that they were told would not be available and that the questions were much more difficult than previous Covid assignments; There have also been complaints about level A chemistry and music.
One mother said her daughter’s “world collapsed” because AS’s Unit 1 math role was so unexpectedly difficult: “My daughter is a diligent student and hard worker. Her teachers expected her to go well.
“The diary didn’t look like anything they’d seen before and my daughter had made previous documents dating back to the early 2000s. I was crying in my arms when she got home and her confidence is now on the ground.
“I don’t understand what they’re doing to this cohort of kids. They haven’t been to external exams before and they haven’t had equal access to face-to-face learning. We continue on the effects of the Covid pandemic, but it looks like this group has been ignored: math and science exams have been ridiculously hard. ”
Another Abergavenny father insisted on content teachers and candidates that they were told they would not be on the A-level math exam. He said his son got A * s for GCSE math and arithmetic and a distinction for additional mathematics under the grades assessed by the teacher and had been harshly revised.
“I can’t question his approach or how much work he did. He was fully prepared for level A, but when he sat down to read the newspaper the wind blew his sails because the questions were so incredibly difficult and had content that they did not expect to be there.
“He thinks his chances of getting to college have been ruined and his confidence has been shattered. It was horrible to see how upset he was.”
He said his son’s education had been constantly interrupted throughout the year due to the pandemic, but that he had worked hard at home.
“Lessons were canceled shortly before and they had to learn at a distance. I feel angry because this is very unfair.
“My son is a confident and confident 18-year-old, but he came home from the broken A-level math exam and said,‘ I’m not going to college. My life is ruined. I was crying, discouraged and in shock. “
One mother, who is a schoolteacher and works in a higher education position, said her school complains about the A-level practice of chemistry.
“Eleven of the 30 notes were for contents extracted from the syllabus, or very, very limit. It was really disappointing and it really disappointed people, “he said.
“The A-level role in math was also the hardest thing people had ever seen. It included content that was not supposed to be there. My daughter was very deflated and some of her friends came out of the exams, some crying.
“I am a school governor and the school has written to complain to the WJEC.” This has made me disappointed with the system. After two years, the WJEC has been wrapped up for two years. In 2020 they made a mistake with the algorithm and then continued to change the sticks.
“They haven’t taken exams in two years and have had a change of direction, but I wonder if they have ensured the quality of the work effectively. If there was ever a year to make sure 100% of the questions aligned with the agenda, it was this year.
“Taking exams that are more difficult than the previous ones at Covid is really unfair. Mental health and well-being have skyrocketed and I think that as far as the Law of Future Generations is concerned, this year’s exams are not they take into account the long-term resilience and sustainability of the workforce.This group will feel that the system is being manipulated against them.
“It doesn’t matter if the degree limits are lowered. This has affected the confidence of this group that is taking exams for the first time. “
In the June 7 grade A math paper, a father also said, “My daughter took the grade A math test on Tuesday crying. In fact, a couple cried through the exam hearing It is completely useless, many have said that it is a paper, unlike any previous article, as they have reviewed them all. Teachers in many schools agree.
“I checked) WJEC specifically advised that 12-year work would not be included; then, in reality, most of the questions were based on 12-year subject matter.”
None of the parents or governors wanted to be identified for fear of making their children worse or discrediting their schools with such high feelings.
Responding to the apology for the missing pages in an English article and what she described as “continued confusion with math,” NAHT Cymru director Laura Doel said: “This is still a series of very challenging exams for our students, many of whom have never taken the exams before.Although we anticipate some interruptions, four pages missing on a level A English exam are unforgivable.
“Our members have reported continued confusion about mathematics articles, citing a lack of specificity in adaptations to exam specifications published by the WJEC. Problems with this subject have been exacerbated by the fact that there is a relatively new format for the math exam, with very few examples of previous work to share as part of the revision process.
“We will continue to highlight any issues raised at the WJEC and acknowledge that the WJEC will take these concerns into account when setting grade limits. However, this will not repair the damaged confidence of students who may have struggled to perform best. to the exams as a result of any confusion.
“Our leaders and teachers are working tirelessly to support students, talking to them thoroughly about any concerns they may have, talking to parents and doing their best to regain their confidence in our exam system and exams. what remains to be done “.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles tweeted to reassure candidates and said: “I want to reassure students who pass the exams that they will be treated fairly.
“The WJEC sets eligibility limits when exams are set, to take into account that one exam is more demanding than another year.”
The WJEC declined to comment on new complaints, but has previously insisted that this year’s exams are fair. After the mistake with the English language and literature exam, the board apologized and said it was a “rare event” that is being taken very seriously.
“All exam answers will be carefully considered during the grading and grading process to ensure that all students receive a fair grading result,” a spokesperson said.
On mathematics, the WJEC added: “We can confirm that all questions on the A-level mathematics unit exam were of the subject content of the specification and were not based on the knowledge and understanding of any topic identified as removed from evaluation in 2022 “.
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