Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 18 March 2020.
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. First of all, Minister, can I just thank you for the statement you released just before we came to Plenary today? I'm sure you will be getting questions on school closures, but I'm actually going to focus my questions on post-16 education.
It does, however, inevitably mean beginning with a question about those studying for those key exams at ages 16, 17 and 18, as well as PGCE students, who have to complete their school placements in order to qualify. And your answer may also be relevant for childcare students, who are in placements perhaps, if not in a school, at least on a site that's shared with a school. If schools are going to close, or partly close, I think this timetable for getting students ready for their final exams and assessments is going to be significantly affected. We're hitting a time of year when, particularly at GCSE, controlled assessments for GCSEs are about to be conducted. It's got direct implications for pupils and teachers—whether they're absent or not absent. And even with supply teachers, there's a possibility, I suppose, of seconding qualified teachers back into the classrooms from other locations. It also has implications for exam boards and Qualifications Wales when it comes to marking and moderating results. So, what options are you considering now about exams due to be taken next term? Who are you talking to about this? And when can we realistically expect a decision on what might happen about either postponement or predicted grades, or any other alternatives?