Wales' post-16 Welsh Bacc is partly 'pointless' and hurting other subjects, claim students
Wales' post-16 Welsh Bacc is partly 'pointless' and hurting other subjects, claim students
They want it made fully optional for students without schools and colleges losing funding as a result
Coleg Sir Gar students Sam Bartlett (left) and Ioan Armstrong (right)
(Image: Ioan Armstrong )
A group of A level students have slated the Advanced Skills Welsh Baccalaureate, a compulsory post-16 subject in most maintained schools and colleges, as "a waste of time".
They say it is affecting study and grades for more important subjects as well as causing unnecessary added stress at exam time. Coleg Sir Gar AS students Ioan Armstrong and Sam Bartlett said the Wales-only qualification had some value, for some students, but was not A level equivalent as claimed.
They want it it to be made optional without schools and colleges losing funding as a result.
The teenagers have written to Education Minister Lynne Neagle asking her to change the funding, raised the matter with their college, and organised a 137-signature petition with classmates.
They have also made Freedom of Information requests about the cash received for institutions for running the "Welsh Bacc", as it's colloquially known.
The qualification is not a compulsory requirement from the Welsh Government, but the pair claim that it is compulsory in effect because of the valuable and vital funding Cardiff Bay gives to schools and colleges to run it.
This meant schools and colleges demanded that students take the Welsh Bacc, although it was not a legal requirement, they said. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
Ioan and Sam were told in reply to information they asked for under FOI that Coleg Sir Gar received more than £360,000 annually for running the Welsh Bacc.
They calculated that this was the equivalent to the pay for around seven lecturers and not money the college could afford to lose, so said they understood why it made the course a requirement.
The students stressed they were not criticising Coleg Sir Gar, or other schools and colleges, or calling for the qualification to be shelved. They just wanted the system which meant it was effectively compulsory, changed.
The pair argued the stress the qualification caused already under-pressure students went against the Welsh Government's own wellbeing guidance, which, ironically, is part of the course.
Ioan, 17, who is studying politics, psychology and sociology A levels plus (reluctantly) the Welsh Bacc, and wants to go to university to study politics, pointed out that some university courses, such as medicine in some institutions, did not accept the qualification as A level equivalent in their offers, although the qualification holds the same UCAS points as an A level.
"We are campaigning for a policy change where colleges still get the funding if Welsh Bacc is optional," said Ioan, 17, adding: "The Welsh Government claims it is optional when in practice it is compulsory. The Welsh Bacc will not be useful to me, but this isn't just about me."
He claimed "the Welsh Bacc is not in the slightest bit as valuable as an A level". He also claimed some teachers did not agree with the qualification being "forced" on students and that it was all coursework and "parroting from online".
He said he had found parts of the course "pointless", including having to take personality tests and reading information about wellbeing targets in Wales and for the UN. He claimed much of the course was repeated across other more important subjects anyway.
"I am concerned I might get lower grades because of the time I have to spend on the Welsh Bacc. I take it seriously in the sense I don't want to fail, but it takes so much time. I am stressing about it when I could be revising for my AS exams."
Sam, 16, is studying A level law, sociology and politics and wants to do a civil service apprenticeship, not university, after A levels, and he said the Welsh Bacc could be useful for some, but not all students, and they should be able to decide.
"This is not just about our personal experience," he insisted, adding: "The Welsh Bacc course takes time away from other subjects and grades. This is not about getting rid of the Welsh Bacc, it's about making it optional.
"As a course the Welsh Bacc encompasses useful skills like how to plan but that doesn't mean it should not be optional. I can guarantee that doing Welsh bacc half the class is on their phones - it has quite high pass rates though."
Sam claimed the Welsh Bacc course was time consuming rather than intellectually challenging: "The practicalitity of it is I get my Welsh Bacc work done the night before it's due because it's that easy. You could use AI to do it all. It's pointless."
When they wrote to Education Minister Lynne Neagle, Ioan and Sam received a reply from her officials explaining that colleges (and schools) received funding to run the Welsh Bacc, as they did for other courses.
The reply said guidance was being reviewed. The Welsh Government officials told them: "Although the expectation is that all young people aged 14-19 have the opportunity to study the Welsh Baccalaureate and associated Skills Challenge Certificate (the predecessor to the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate), they have the right not to. It is not statutory, and schools and colleges should be using some flexibility to ensure that they are providing opportunities that are in the best interests of their learners.
"Medr's (the funding body) expectation is that all colleges in Wales undertake a thorough Initial Advice and Guidance (IAG) process with all their learners before enrolment ensues.
"Although Welsh Government is clear that it is not compulsory for learners to take the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate, school sixth forms and colleges are able to set their own curriculum offer and admissions policies. The guidance for schools and colleges on what they should offer more widely is available as part of "Local Curriculum for students aged 16 to 18 Guidace". You will note that this guidance predates the introduction of the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate.
"Following the creation of Medr, Welsh Government is currently reviewing the guidance and will be considering, as part of this work, if any further information is needed on the role of the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales qualification within 16-19 learning. This work is likely to be subject to public consultation, and I would be happy to share the details of this with you at the appropriate time, should you wish to contribute your views and that of your peers?"
Coleg Sir Gar said no-one was available for comment.
In a Written Statement in April, Lynne Neagle hinted at a review saying: "We will work with partners to refresh the guidance on local curricula for 16 to 19-year-old students."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'The Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales provides learners opportunities to develop and apply key skills in practical situations.
"We are clear that it is not compulsory for learners to take the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate; school sixth forms and colleges are able to set their own curriculum offer and admissions policies. They should ensure that they are providing opportunities that are in the best interests of their learners.'.
The welsh Bacc post-16 explained
In September, 2023, the new Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3) replaced the existing Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate qualification
The Welsh Government says on its website that the qualification aims to equip students with practical skills, personal development, and social awareness, making them "better prepared for higher education, vocational training, and the workforce".
It's designed to be integrated with traditional academic studies and is often studied alongside A levels or other vocational qualifications.
"Welsh Bacc is a valuable qualification for post-16 students in Wales, designed to enhance skills and prepare them for future pathways. It's a composite qualification that includes a Skills Challenge Certificate and supporting academic achievements. The Advanced level is particularly relevant for those pursuing higher education, with its UCAS points equivalent to an A-level."
The Skills Challenge Certificate is a key part of the course and is assessed through four areas: an individual project, enterprise and employability challenge, global citizenship challenge, and community challenge.
To achieve the Welsh Bacc, learners must also meet specific requirements related to GCSEs in English or Welsh language, and mathematics or mathematics-numeracy.
The Advanced level Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC) carries UCAS tariff points and is equivalent to an A level, according to the Senedd.
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