WJEC warned Welsh Government regrade would 'damage' GCSE

The Welsh Government was warned that regrading GCSE exams in English would 'seriously damage' the integrity of the qualification. The comments were made by the WJEC exam board in emails released by the Welsh Government.

The WJEC chief executive Gareth Pierce said that regrading the exam papers would create 'a split standard' for the exam board's qualification.

More than 2,000 Welsh teenagers were given improved grades in September, after Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews ordered the WJEC to regrade the papers of pupils here, because of concerns over changes in grade boundaries midway through the year, which meant many got lower grades than expected.

Michael Gove, Education Secretary in Westminster, criticised Mr Andrews' decision as 'irresponsible and mistaken'. GCSE pupils in England have not had their exams regraded.

Details of a meeting of the WJEC's English Language Awarding Committee has also been released. In the meeting the members expressed 'serious concerns' about the implications for any future examination awards. They also stated they were 'uncomfortable' that a regrade would only take place for some of the students taking the exam.

Meanwhile the Welsh Education Minister has been given evidence to the Assembly's Children and Young People Committee. Leighton Andrew defended himself saying that it is his view that ministers should be involved in issues that he described as 'fundamental'.