A-levels: 'Outrage' at Peter Weir's Welsh exam board decision

The Welsh exam board WJEC has said it was not consulted about a decision by the education minister to ban schools in NI from taking its qualifications.

Peter Weir has told schools they cannot use WJEC qualifications from September 2022.

A number of NI schools use WJEC for AS and A-levels in subjects like Sociology, Computer Science, Physical Education (PE), Psychology and Drama.

In 2020, there were 1,935 entries from NI pupils for AS-levels through WJEC.

A further 1,466 pupils took A-levels through the exam board.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said no pupil currently taking WJEC qualifications is affected by the decision.

In a circular to schools on qualifications, Mr Weir said that "from September 2022, WJEC qualifications will no longer be approved for use in NI schools".

He said he had made the decision because WJEC did not consult the Department of Education (DE) in Northern Ireland about how it would award pupil results this year after summer exams were cancelled in 2021.

Teachers will decide AS and A-Level grades for qualifications taken through the Welsh board this summer.

"Changes to the awarding of WJEC qualifications in 2021 - without consultation with DE, CCEA Regulation or NI centres - left learners in NI schools in a position of uncertainty," Mr Weir said.

"To avoid this situation recurring, the minister has decided that it is not in the interests of NI learners to continue to access WJEC qualifications."

But some teachers in Northern Ireland have reacted with dismay to Mr Weir's decision.

Joanne Robb, from Belfast Royal Academy, said her school was one of over 20 in Northern Ireland to teach AS and A-level Sociology through WJEC.

She has around 30 pupils taking AS and a further 30 taking an A-level in the subject.

"This has always worked well for us, and is a popular choice, especially as CCEA do not offer this qualification," she said.

"This has created an impossible situation for the continued teaching of Sociology in our school."

Ms Robb said teachers will now find themselves "forced into a situation of no longer being able to offer a very useful and popular A-level subject, one that many pupils find helps launch future careers in nursing, law, criminology, teaching and healthcare".

She added: "The feeling amongst all schools is of complete outrage and disbelief that such a decision has been taken when it is clearly unnecessary."

In a statement, the Department of Education said those completing WJEC AS qualifications and planning to progress to the full A-level in the next academic year will be able to continue with their course.

"Similarly, those who are planning to start a WJEC AS course in September 2021 and progress to A2 in September 2022, to be awarded in the summer of 2023, are also unaffected," the statement added.

"The change announced applies to full courses (i.e. an AS leading to an A2) commencing on or after September 2022."

However, Simon Westcott, who teaches Psychology at Our Lady's Grammar School in Newry, said Mr Weir's decision was causing "huge stress".

"This decision has thrown my professional circumstances into disarray and effectively forces very many teachers across NI who deliver WJEC courses into moving to new specifications," he said.

"This causes huge levels of stress for teachers such as me, already bogged down with remote learning and the other current stresses that have been well documented."

Mr Wescott said the decision will put some students "at a disadvantage to others who can study subjects on CCEA modular courses".

In a statement to BBC News NI, the WJEC said it had received "no prior notice" of Mr Weir's decision to ban Northern Irish schools from using its AS and A-level qualifications from next year.

"Unfortunately, we were not consulted or given prior official notice of this decision," a spokesperson said.

"Considering the service and support we have provided over many years to schools and colleges in Northern Ireland delivering our qualifications, we are disappointed about this decision, especially as centres will not be provided with greater choice in selecting qualifications to meet the needs of their learners."

Mr Weir's decision does not affect GCSE qualifications taken under the WJEC brand or any of the GCSE, A-level and AS-level qualifications taken under the board's Eduqas brand.