Changes to Welsh language GCSEs announced by Qualifications Wales
Qualifications Wales has announced a number of changes to be made to Welsh language GCSE qualifications.
The regulator has recommended that from 2025, Welsh Language and Welsh Literature qualifications should be combined into one and Welsh Second Language GCSE should be scrapped.
Qualifications Wales says the overall aim is to see one Welsh language qualification for "all learners in all settings" but admitted "we are not there yet".
Welsh language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith has criticized Qualifications Wales' decision not to introduce a single Welsh language qualification for all pupils in Wales, and has accused the body of doing nothing more than "rebranding" Welsh second language and "failing another generation of children".
What's changing?
Welsh Language and Welsh Literature will be combined into one GCSE for pupils in Welsh-medium and bilingual schools.
GCSE Welsh Second Language will be discontinued, and a new GCSE in Welsh will be created for learners in English-medium settings.
A new additional qualification for pupils in English-medium settings who are ready to progress further in their Welsh language skills.
Emyr George, Director of Qualifications Policy and Reform at Qualifications Wales says he believes the new changes will encourage learners to become more confident in using the language.
He said: “This will encourage all learners to be confident users of the Welsh language, regardless of which type of school they attend, and will help achieve the aims of the Welsh Government’s ‘Cymraeg 2050’ language strategy.
“Eventually, we want to see one overarching Cymraeg qualification for all learners in all settings, but we are not there yet because learners have varying levels of exposure to the language.
“The qualifications will give all learners a fair and equal opportunity to achieve in Cymraeg. They reflect the different sets of expectations for English-medium and Welsh-medium schools, as outlined in the new Curriculum for Wales, while also allowing those learners in English-medium schools who are ready to progress further and more quickly along the Welsh language continuum.
“We have worked closely with teachers, subject experts and the Welsh Government over recent months to ensure this offer best meets the needs of learners to have the skills and confidence to use Welsh in their learning, work, and everyday lives.”
The plans are part of the Welsh Government's target to reach 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said he "welcomed" the new changes.
“Welsh Language qualifications should support all learners on their Welsh Language journey and provide a route towards a shared goal", he said.
"I welcome the new Welsh language qualifications, which remove the concept of Welsh being a second language and will reward the hard work of those studying Welsh across the whole spectrum of Welsh language experience and ability.
“I have been clear that changes to qualifications must be radical and ambitious and support the new Curriculum, as we move to a continuum for Welsh learning, from those with little or no language experience, right through to those working towards proficiency.
“There is a real opportunity to work with Qualifications Wales to help shape these new qualifications and I encourage everyone with an interest to engage with the process over the coming months.”
Welsh language qualifications for learners in English-medium schools have been developing over the last five years with Qualifications Wales replacing the full and short courses in both GCSE Welsh Second Language and GCSE Applied Welsh in 2017 with a new, "more demanding" course.
These changes were regarded as the first step in the journey of reforming and developing Welsh language qualifications.
Qualifications Wales says it will now work closely with teachers, examiners, employers, and young people to co-create the content, teaching methods and assessment of the three new qualifications.
Emyr added: “We have recruited teachers and educational professionals to help shape these new Cymraeg qualifications and we are about to launch a major campaign for learners to give us their views on what the new qualifications should be like. This is a pivotal time for us to rethink and reimagine new qualifications as part of our Qualified for the Future programme.
“Everyone will have a chance to feedback on how the new Cymraeg qualifications will look, along with changes to other subjects in the autumn term.”
It is expected that the new qualifications will be ready for first teaching in 2025.