A-levels: Peter Weir 'should reverse' Welsh exam board decision

Bodies representing grammar schools and drama teachers across NI have called on the education minister to reverse a decision banning WJEC qualifications.

Peter Weir has told schools they can no longer offer WJEC qualifications from September 2022.

Both the Governing Bodies Association (GBA) and NI Drama have urged the minister to reconsider his decision.

WJEC is the Welsh Exam Board - schools in Northern Ireland currently offer AS and A-levels in 16 subjects through it.

The GBA represents some of Northern Ireland's biggest grammar schools.

In their letter to Mr Weir they said his decision on WJEC would have a "significant and wide-ranging impact" on "a substantial number" on schools.

"The timing of the decision, without consultation, occurs when our schools are already facing significant challenges," the GBA letter said.

The body said it would reduce choice for pupils, reduce paths to higher education and remove courses compatible with AS qualifications in Northern Ireland.

"We would urge the department to reconsider the decision regarding the WJEC qualifications and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you should you find it helpful," the GBA said.

Separately, more than 30 drama teachers and dramatists have signed a joint letter to the minister from NI Drama, which is a forum for drama teachers across Northern Ireland.

They also said that the minister's decision would cut down choice for schools and pupils, as an AS and A-level course offered by the Northern Ireland's exams board, CCEA, had a different focus to the WJEC qualification.

"CCEA's performing arts is taught by many of our colleagues in thriving drama departments, but it is a course with a contemporary performance focus, unlike WJEC Drama, which emphasises analysis and a critical written response," they said.

"This decision therefore puts drama students from Northern Ireland at a disadvantage in accessing third-level education."

"Until now, Northern Irish students rightly had the choice: your decision means that Northern Irish students will now be denied this option and their experience will be narrower."

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

But the teachers who signed the NI Drama letter said that had not caused disruption.

"WJEC have always been supportive, forthright, and forward-thinking; we had faith that a mode of assessment would be arrived at in a timely manner," they said.

"It is the duty of our representatives to negotiate and to find compromise to ease our way through this difficult pandemic, not to draw-up red lines."

"Minister, we are sure you are supportive of the lengths teachers and schools have gone to provide continuity to children's education throughout the pandemic, and we urge you to act on our behalf and reconsider the decision regarding WJEC," they concluded.

As well as drama, schools use WJEC for AS and A-levels in subjects including sociology, computer science, physical education (PE), psychology, business, music and economics.

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 previously told BBC News NI that no pupil currently taking WJEC qualifications is affected by the minister's decision.