Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 8 May 2018.
Diolch, Llywydd. The Welsh Government remains committed to the universal adoption of the Welsh baccalaureate, but the elite universities don't seem to be terribly interested in it as a qualification, indeed the top three universities don't require it at all. I've been written to by a school student who says that the Welsh bac is a burden for students and teachers alike and the work is tedious and not useful for more able students, and because these two subjects are compulsory for year nines it will be very difficult to compete with English pupils for jobs and university places as they'll have done two more valuable subjects. So, in the circumstances, does the First Minister not see that this is at best a distraction from more useful use of time in schools?