Welsh Baccalaureate: 'Young people question its value'

An Assembly committee said the Welsh Bacc could be valuable, but teaching was "worryingly inconsistent"

Young people and their parents doubt whether the Welsh Baccalaureate will be valuable in future, and need assurance it is worth the effort, according to an Assembly committee.

A majority think the "Bacc" is too time consuming and negatively affects their other studies, a survey suggested.

But the education committee found the qualification has "merit" and can offer valuable skills.

The Welsh Government said it recognised the Bacc needed better promotion.

Education committee chairman Lynne Neagle AM said teaching of the Welsh Bacc remained "worryingly inconsistent" and "duplication of effort and unmanageable assessment requirements are leaving teachers and learners understandably fatigued".

'Sub-standard'

She added "poor communication, lack of understanding and lack of resources" had contributed to "sub-standard" experiences for some pupils.

"We concluded that the way in which the qualification is currently delivered and publicised is having a detrimental effect on its actual and perceived value," she said.

The committee said the Welsh Government must ensure they have learned lessons from the introduction of the Welsh Bacc when they bring in the new curriculum.

What is the Welsh Bacc?

• The Bacc brings together a number of qualifications but at its heart is the Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC)

• Versions can be studied by 14 to 16 year olds, and then at sixth-form, and since 2015 it has been graded

• To achieve the SCC students must complete an individual project (which counts for 50%) and three other challenges - testing enterprise and employability skills, knowledge of global issues and participating in community-based activities.

The committee's report made several findings, including:

• Sixty-six per cent of the young people and parents surveyed by the committee did not feel the Welsh Bacc would be valuable in future careers, and 70% thought it was more time consuming than "equivalent" qualifications

• Many young people argued the Welsh Baccalaureate should not be compulsory, but the committee found the Welsh Government's policy about this was unclear

• The better the qualification was understood, the more it was valued by young people, parents and employers

• Among employers there was a lack of understanding about the qualification's purpose and the committee called for a campaign to raise awareness among businesses and universities

• The Welsh Government should provide a detailed list of how universities treat the Welsh Bacc in their offers.

'Clear merit'

A Welsh Government spokesman said it would respond to the recommendations soon.

He added they welcomed the committee's findings that there was "clear merit" in studying the Welsh Baccalaureate, "particularly in terms of the breadth of skills developed by learners".

"We are working closely with Qualifications Wales and WJEC to develop a communications plan to ensure that parents, learners, universities and employers understand the key skills that learners develop."