Mother's anger at GCSE exams marking as son misses key grade
A MOTHER has accused GCSE examiners of "penalising pupils" following a national row over marking which resulted in more than a thousand complaints.
Edwina Shore, of Ffynnonwaun, Johnstown, said her 16-year-old son Luke Maddox had lost out on going to study A-levels at the town's QE High School after his expected result in English Language fell when marked.
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Luke was predicted a C grade but ended up with a D, meaning he did not achieve the 5 Cs needed to enter the school's sixth form to study A-Levels.
She is also upset at being unable to speak to teachers at QE High about the issue since Luke received his results on August 23.
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The marking has affected thousands of students, it is understood, with the WJEC receiving more than 1,000 complaints across all subjects.
Parents, including Mrs Shore, have until September 20 to appeal.
The Welsh Government is launching a review into performance in English Language at this year's GCSEs with Education Minister Leighton Andrews wanting answers as to why results fell.
Mrs Shore said: "Luke wanted to go to sixth form in Carmarthen because the school is only down the road from where we live. Now we have enrolled him at Coleg Sir Gâr's Graig campus to study an Edexcel course, giving him the equivalent of three A- Levels."
Mrs Shore said the situation does not make sense.
"Luke was predicted a C but it seems the marking guidelines have changed and affected all these pupils at the end of their courses.
"If there was going to be restructuring then why not do it at the start of the next academic year, not penalise pupils when they have already done all their work for two years."
She added: "I only have until September 20 to appeal yet I cannot get hold of anyone at the WJEC or at Luke's school, just the answerphone giving me the school opening times."
Mrs Shore said Luke was told on the day he opened his results by staff at QE High that he would not be eligible to enter the sixth form as he did not have 5 C grade GCSEs."
Luke's long-term goal would have been to complete his A-levels in Carmarthen and then move to New Zealand to work at a relative's business.
WJEC spokesman Wyn Dafydd said: "It is clear from the collective experience of these qualifications that the new specifications have posed challenges for the regulatory bodies, centres and awarding organisations.
"WJEC is undertaking its own investigation of outcomes in the recent GCSE English and English Language series, and once this is completed we propose to share our conclusions with centres in a way which will hopefully be useful when considered alongside the other information that has already been provided."
ian.lewis@swwmedia.co.uk
Comments
by Neathboy234
Friday, September 07 2012, 1:13PM
“TaweBoy it can only be described are wrong to move the goalposts in this way, something has gone horribly wrong here”
by Neathboy234
Friday, September 07 2012, 1:12PM
“DJofTNE so u want to stop people breeding with lower IQ, Didn't some other group try that once, If only Hitler was alive today!!!!
DJofTNE if it's possible do not pollute this site with your extreme right wing views”
by TaweBoy
Friday, September 07 2012, 12:18PM
“Moving the goal posts is a bit unfair part way through the year, but just because your predicted grade is C why should that be what you get. A D grade may have been achieved because he scored well below the required leve for a C, I would imagine mots students who achieved a D are thinking they have been screwed by the system when this may not be the case. Its too easy this day and age to blame anyone else rather than look at yourself.
My GCSE results were below expectation levels, they were still decent, but I only had myself to blame. Revising for a maths exam the day before it did not help my cause, no revision at all on history as I "knew it all" hindered me in the end. My fault. People should start taking more responsibility themselves.
I do feel for those who would have achived a C on the old guidelines. It does seem an odd time to move the goal posts!”
by DJofTNE
Thursday, September 06 2012, 5:01PM
“Neathboy With that attitude towards people who will not help themselves is there any wonder why the country is in a state? My son failed his exam, i demand that the school change his grade to c! Horrific attitude, all that is wrong with Britain and the reason why jeremy kyle get so many viewers. Lets give him the snip before he knocks up a girl with the same attitude and adds to this countries downfall.”
by Neathboy234
Thursday, September 06 2012, 4:26PM
“maxmin It's not often your right, but your wrong again!.
They did away with the "actual number" way as you put it years ago. Mind u i understand why u got it wrong, it probably alters every year or so.”
by maxmin
Thursday, September 06 2012, 4:12PM
“But surely it works on the actual number not a percentage, for example one year 345 might get an A grade (total taking the exam 3450) the next year it might be 678 if 6780 took the exam.”
by hacker_jack
Thursday, September 06 2012, 4:08PM
“"Hacker, I don't think so because it would depend on how many took which exam."
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That doesnt make any sense.
If the boards decided that the top 10% get an A then the top 10% will get an A. We would not ever have a fall or rise in the percentage of A grades, like we have every single year.
Therefore your assumption abut percentage of grade being fixed is wrong.”
by maxmin
Thursday, September 06 2012, 3:58PM
“Hacker, I don't think so because it would depend on how many took which exam.”
by Neathboy234
Thursday, September 06 2012, 1:56PM
“DJofTNE i feel sorry for him because if he'd done the exam in January he would have probably got a C.”
by DJofTNE
Thursday, September 06 2012, 12:57PM
“NEATHBOYS feels sorry because the lad didnt work hard enough to get the right grade, hmm, surely you get what you deserve in exams, that kind of attitude is whats killing this country, same as the mum, why on earth would she complain? The lad didnt work hard enough or was'nt brainy enough, this was a prediction based on his efforts up until that point, who's to say that the lad dropped his standards thinking that the c was in the bag? So wrong of the mum on all accounts, the jeremy kyle wannabees are being uneathed everywhere these days, your sons not brainy enough for a c, deal with it.”