Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 1:49 pm on 31 January 2018.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 1:49, 31 January 2018

Let me just be absolutely clear: the Member can simply not make the assumption that those children would have done better under the old GCSE examination system. I make no apologies, Darren—and I'm surprised that you don't agree—for wanting greater rigour in our exam system, and if maths exams are introducing greater rigour, then that is something that we should be proud of, rather than dumbing down our exam system. Let me be absolutely clear as well—because you are doing a disservice to the children and the teachers of Wales by somehow peddling a myth that our examinations are not comparable to examinations in the rest of the United Kingdom. There is no evidence at all that you can bring forward to this Chamber to back that up. Our examinations, overseen by the independent body of Qualifications Wales, and modified and monitored across UK bodies, are of equal worth to anybody else's, and to suggest otherwise in this National Assembly and not come forward with any hard evidence, you are doing a disservice to those children who have got those exams.