Evolving the Welsh Baccalaureate

Curriculum 2000 & "Key Skills" - My Experience

The Welsh Baccalaureate - in itself - is a Welsh evolution of the Blair government's Curriculum 2000. My year were the first cohort to be taught under this new curriculum - which introduced A/S and A2 Levels. The Welsh Assembly - which was barely a year old at the time - was still in the administrative devolution stage, and merely enacted policy with a bit of tweaking here and there.

The relevant part of Curriculum 2000 vis-à-vis the Welsh Baccalaureate is "Key Skills" - in numeracy, communication/literacy and IT. As a sixth-former, I had to prepare a portfolio of evidence for each of these key skills as well as take a short exam. Each key skill was worth a certain amount of UCAS points, and although it was clear that the teachers were trying their hardest to take this seriously, the whole thing seemed like a complete waste of our time and their time.

While I was conducting in depth analysis of war poetry, I had to prove for "key skills" that I could write a letter. While Geography was introducing us to the student t-test and I had to balance equations for Chemistry, for "key skills" I had to prove that I could read from a bar graph. Use of IT was an integral part of every single subject, yet I had to collect evidence that I could word process properly.

The exams for these key skills could best be described as an insult to the intelligence of any sixth former. My GCSE exams were harder. I'm not sure what the portfolio or the exams were supposed to prove to myself, teachers, universities or future employers.

The Welsh Baccalaureate

The Welsh Baccalaureate, in its current form, could be described as "A-Level General Studies on steroids". Former WJEC chair and Bridgend Council leader Jeff Jones described it as "an A-Level with a load on nonsense added on." Even the Institute of Welsh Affairs have been critical.

The "Key Skills" element from Curriculum 2000 is still there, but there are additional requirements for the Advanced Level - such as work experience, volunteering, community service, an individual investigation - in addition to traditional A-Level subjects.

This year, some 7,000 students received the Advanced Level Welsh Bac - a big rise on 2010. It's claimed that UCAS consider it the equivalent of an A-grade at A-Level, but it's not as clear cut as that. It depends on the courses applied for and the university itself. Some universities and some courses only consider it a B-grade (like Cardiff University), or only accept the Welsh Bacc in lieu of certain A-Levels. Others, like Aberystwyth University, accept the Welsh Bacc fully as an A-grade. This is an unacceptable situation in my opinion.

As someone who's gone through Curriculum 2000, the Welsh Bac is a huge improvement on it. If I were in the position of going into sixth form, I'd consider the Welsh Baccalaureate a worthwhile qualification. However, I can't help but feel it falls short of its peers on the European mainland.

International examples Wales can emulate

French baccalauréat – Divided into three "streams" (sciences, economics and literature). French, Maths, philosophy, PE and a second language are all compulsory. Subjects are weighted based on their importance in their respective "stream" (i.e. Life sciences is weighted heavily in sciences stream, while languages more so in the literature stream). Exams average 3 hours and are essay based, multiple choice questions are unusual.

International Baccalaureate (IB) – A "core" of six subjects; maths, the native language, a second language, a science, a social science subject and an elective (usually arts). This is in addition to an extended 4000-word essay project, a critical reasoning module and up to 150 hours of extra curricular activity (called creativity, action and service).

Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs (VWO) – Dutch pre-university eduction. Four "specialisations" (Culture/Society, Economics, Nature & Health, Nature & Technology) each placing a different emphasis on various subjects (i.e. Culture & Society focuses on history, arts and languages). Maths, Dutch, English and an additional language are compulsory, though different specialisations emphasise different mathematical disciplines.

A proposal for the Welsh Baccalaureate of the future

Key Principals

• The Welsh Baccalaureate should be a qualification worth getting in itself, not just a matriculation/university entrance one or an additional A-Level. It should prepare students for employment as much as university.
• Academic and vocational qualifications should have equal status.
• The teaching structure of post-16 courses should be changed to a university-style one (lectures in large groups, tutorials/seminars in small groups, practicals where applicable) with more self-directed learning and a de-facto 9-5 day.
• Post-16 education should be provided exclusively by further education colleges in the medium to long term. Provide a university-style experience without actually needing to go to university, including a students union and membership to NUS Wales. Make sure there is as wide a choice as possible in post-16 subjects and courses.
• Marks should be given in percentages instead of grades, with a 50% pass mark. A student would have to pass all of the elements to get the Baccalaureate. There should also be "Honours", "Distinction" and "Merit" categories for high-acheiving students i.e. Top 1% in Wales get Welsh Baccalaureate with "Honours".
• Exams should take place at the end of each module (spreading the exams out over the academic year), should be essay based and ideally not exceed 2 hours in length. Coursework should be replaced with teacher-monitored in-class assessments/assignments. Arts subjects are an exception for obvious reasons.

Proposed Welsh Baccalaureate Structure

• A student chooses a "profile" (outlined below) and a selection of A-Level, A/S Level or vocational courses, some of which will be compulsory depending on the profile chosen.
• Students should be able to make their Baccalaureate as challenging or pragmatic as possible and be able to choose up to 5 A-Levels or its equivalent.
• Short courses should be offered to partially meet compulsory profile requirements (i.e. An "Essential Maths for scientists" course instead of A/S Level Maths). These shouldn't be seen as a "soft touch", and would be examined/assessed to the same standards as A and A/S levels.
• A student prepared 4000-word investigation on a subject of their choice along with a 5 minute presentation of its key findings. It would be assessed on quality of argument, research skills and quality of language/presentation.
• Each student should spend two-weeks either in work experience or volunteering in the summer break between year 12 and 13.
• Students should be able to organise their own extra-curricular activities to provide a greater breadth of choice. There should be greater organised inter-college competition in sport and other activities.

The Proposed Profiles

Natural Sciences

Careers/University Courses : Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Sciences, Academia, Laboratory & Industrial Science, Chemical Engineering, Earth Sciences, Conservation/Environmental Science

• Compulsory Course I : At least 2 natural, earth or applied science A-Levels
• Compulsory Course II: At least an A/S Level in Mathematics or equivalent

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Careers/University Courses : IT, Academia, Physical Sciences, Astronomy/Space Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civic Engineering, Product Design, Architecture, Energy Industries, Skilled Trades

• Compulsory Course I : Mathematics A-Level
• Compulsory Course II: 2 A-Levels from physical sciences, computing, engineering or technology

Business & Economics

Careers/University Courses : Entrepreneurship, Business, Finance, Economics, Public Relations, Retail, Personnel & Recruitment, Law, Marketing, Advertising, Management, Politics

• Compulsory Course I : Either Mathematics or Economics A-Level
• Compulsory Course II: A non-native language A-Level
• Compulsory Course III: A humanities, business, computing or technology A-Level

Communication & Social Sciences

Careers/University Courses : Law, Translation, Business, Liberal Arts, History & Archeology, Anthropology, Classics, Social Sciences, Politics, Psychology, Performing Arts, Media/Journalism, Speech Therapy, Publishing, Criminology, Teaching, Child Care

• Compulsory Course I : English (or Welsh First Language)
• Compulsory Course II : Non-native second language A-Level
• Compulsory Course III: Humanities/Social Sciences or Arts A-Level

Public Service & Leadership

Careers/University Courses : Law, Law Enforcement, Military, Security, Skilled Trades, Politics, Teaching, Management, Retail, Nursing, Civil Service, Professional Sports, Child Care

• Compulsory Course I (Logic): One from Mathematics, Computing, Economics or Physics
• Compulsory Course II (Social Awareness): A humanities A-Level
• Compulsory Course III (Communication): A languages A-Level

Creative Arts

Careers/University Courses : Architecture, Performing Arts, Advertising, Graphic Design, Product Design, Marketing, Media, Photography, Teaching, Cosmetology, Fashion Industries/Textiles, Child Care

• Compulsory Course I : First language or humanities A-Level
• Compulsory Course II : Two creative arts A-Levels
• Additional Requirement : A maintained professional portfolio for one of the creative arts subjects