Completed petition Re-evaluate and clarify the GCSE, AS, A-Level assessments situation
As we know, students have been learning the AS/A2/GCSE course, whether it be in school or online. Given the recent information by the minister of education for Wales, Kirsty Williams, the internal assessments 'Will take place between 22nd February and 23rd April'. This is a lot earlier than most students were expecting, and with the distractions in place at the moment, students aren't prepared to sit these assessments at this time of year.
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Sitting these assessments between this time would be completely unfair due to the fact students are not prepared, and most likely have not finished learning their course. This has definitely affected the mental health of students because of the uncertainty of the situation. During these times, students have lost loved ones, this would affect their mental health so much that they would not be able to perform to their best abilities. The teachers have not been given the materials needed to prepare students for these assessments, and if the teachers are teaching the correct materials. Pupils are not mentally prepared or educationally prepared to sit these assessments, even in the summer. The majority of us have not sat the GCSE final exams, and therefore we do not know how to revise or create notes as effectively. We need to be told now what is going to happen, to effectively prepare.
This petition was considered by the Petitions Committee
Other Senedd business
Qualifications Wales announcement - 8 January
Qualifications Wales has announced (8 January 2021) that the spring internal assessment window has been cancelled and new arrangements will be made: https://www.qualificationswales.org/english/news/qualifications-wales-cancels-the-spring-internal-assessment-window/
Petitions Committee consideration
At its meeting on 2 March 2021, the Committee considered the petition as part of consideration of petition P-05-1128 Cancel externally set ‘assessments’ in 2021 for AS and A levels and only use teacher assessed grades. The Committee decided to close all petitions relating to this issue, on the basis of decisions taken by the Welsh Government to cancel externally set assessments for 2021.