Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
 


  

In December 2011 I appointed an external review panel to consider the structure of the general qualifications market in Wales. This followed, in part, allegations made in the Daily Telegraph regarding awarding organisation seminars. The review ran from February to May 2012, and today I am publishing the review panel’s recommendations.


The panel’s terms of reference were to deliver:


* an assessment of the impact of the current market structure of awarding organisations on standards in GCSEs and A Levels;
* an assessment of the efficacy of the current market structure;
* the identification of options for change and recommendations.


The report highlights both the complexity of this area and the contrasting views of stakeholders in relation to key issues.


After careful consideration the review panel found no clear evidence to indicate that the current market structure has had an adverse effect on standards and highlighted that, whilst stakeholders expressed a range of views, there was no clear consensus on the efficacy of the current system. The panel does not consider the current system to be critically flawed.


Given the high dependency on WJEC as the provider of a significant proportion of general qualifications in Wales, the Review panel focussed heavily on its activities. In terms of standards, the panel members have been reassured that the standards of qualifications awarded by WJEC are in line with those of other awarding organisations. However, the panel questioned whether its governance arrangements should more closely reflect the constitution of its stakeholders in supporting its role as a key deliverer of modern qualifications in Wales.


To improve the system moving forward, the Report makes four recommendations:


 


1. At this moment in time there is insufficient evidence to move away from a multiple awarding organisation market, given the potential destabilisation this would entail. However, the panel recommends that if any Wales\-only qualifications emerge from the Review of Qualifications, these may be well served by a single awarding organisation structure.
2. That, in the longer term, based on an examination of the legal and technical issues in this area, the Scottish qualifications system (based on the work of the SQA) be considered as a possible model for Wales.
3. That WJEC, as the main provider of general qualifications in Wales, reviews its mission, structure and governance arrangements giving consideration to establishing a separate and clear focus on its core awarding function and incorporating a wider stakeholder group in line with a social enterprise model.
4. That awarding organisations review their conflict of interest policies and develop guidance regarding the updating and professional development of teachers and examiners.


 


I am aware that the House of Commons Select Committee looking into the administration of examinations for 15\-19 year olds in England has recently reported its findings. It does not recommend a move to a single awarding organisation structure for qualifications in England but has made other recommendations in this area. The Report has not yet received a formal response from the Westminster Government.


The panel’s recommendations for Wales do not lead me to believe that any immediate changes to the market structure for general qualifications in Wales are needed. The report and recommendations of this review will feed into the Review of Qualifications which is being chaired by Huw Evans OBE.  That Review will report to Ministers in November this year and we will formally respond to both reports at the same time in January 2013\. However, recent statements by the Secretary of State for Education have suggested significant changes may take place in due course in the awarding structure for qualifications in England which would have major implications for the WJEC’s operation in England. The board of the WJEC will need to give urgent consideration to these issues. I will be meeting the Chief Executive of WJEC to discuss in more detail the findings and recommendations that relate to WJEC. I will also be discussing them with the WLGA.   


 


  


 


 


 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
  
Ym mis Rhagfyr 2011 penodais banel adolygu allanol i ystyried strwythur y farchnad cymwysterau cyffredinol yng Nghymru. Roedd hyn yn dilyn, yn rhannol, honiadau a wnaed yn The Daily Telegraph ynglŷn â seminarau sefydliadau dyfarnu. Cafodd yr adolygiad ei gynnal rhwng mis Chwefror a mis Mai 2012, a heddiw cyhoeddaf argymhellion y panel adolygu.

Cylch gorchwyl y panel oedd cyflawni’r canlynol:

* asesiad o effaith strwythur presennol y farchnad o sefydliadau dyfarnu ar safonau TGAU a Lefel A;
* asesiad o effeithiolrwydd strwythur presennol y farchnad;
* nodi opsiynau ar gyfer newid ac argymhellion.

  
Mae’r adroddiad yn tynnu sylw at gymhlethdod y maes hwn a safbwyntiau cyferbyniol y rhanddeiliaid mewn perthynas â materion allweddol.

Ar ôl ystyried yn ofalus ni ddaeth y panel adolygu o hyd i unrhyw dystiolaeth glir i ddangos bod strwythur presennol y farchnad wedi cael effaith niweidiol ar safonau, a phwysleisiodd er bod rhanddeiliaid wedi mynegi amrywiaeth o safbwyntiau, nid oedd unrhyw gonsensws clir ar effeithiolrwydd y system bresennol. Nid yw’r panel yn ystyried bod diffygion argyfyngus ar y system bresennol.

Gan ystyried y ddibyniaeth fawr ar CBAC fel darparwr cyfran sylweddol o gymwysterau cyffredinol yng Nghymru, canolbwyntiodd y panel Adolygu yn fawr ar ei weithgarwch. O ran safonau, mae aelodau’r panel yn dawel eu meddwl bod safonau’r cymwysterau a ddyfernir gan CBAC yn unol â’r rhai a ddyfernir gan sefydliadau dyfarnu eraill. Fodd bynnag, cwestiynodd y panel a ddylai ei drefniadau llywodraethu adlewyrchu cyfansoddiad ei randdeiliaid yn well wrth gefnogi ei rôl fel prif ddarparwr cymwysterau modern yng Nghymru.

Er mwyn gwella’r system yn y dyfodol, mae’r Adroddiad yn gwneud pedwar argymhelliad:

1. Ar hyn o bryd, nid oes digon o dystiolaeth i symud oddi wrth farchnad o sefydliadau dyfarnu niferus, gan ystyried y byddai’r system yn cael ei hansefydlogi yn sgil hyn o bosibl. Fodd bynnag, mae’r panel yn argymell os daw unrhyw gymwysterau sy’n unigryw i Gymru o’r Adolygiad o Gymwysterau, efallai y byddai strwythur sefydliad dyfarnu unigol yn gwasanaethau’r rhain yn dda.
2. Yn y tymor hwy, yn seiliedig ar archwiliad o’r materion cyfreithiol a thechnegol yn y maes hwn, y gallai system gymwysterau yr Alban (yn seiliedig ar waith Awdurdod Cymwysterau yr Alban \[SQA]) gael ei hystyried fel model posibl i Gymru.
3. Bod CBAC, fel y prif ddarparwr cymwysterau cyffredinol yng Nghymru, yn adolygu ei genhadaeth, ei strwythur a’i drefniadau llywodraethu, gan ystyried rhoi ffocws clir ac ar wahân ar ei swyddogaeth ddyfarnu graidd a chynnwys grŵp rhanddeiliaid ehangach yn unol â model menter gymdeithasol.
4. Bod cyrff dyfarnu yn adolygu eu polisïau gwrthdrawiad buddiannau ac yn datblygu canllawiau mewn perthynas â diweddaru a datblygiad proffesiynol athrawon ac arholwyr.

Rwy’n ymwybodol bod Pwyllgor Dethol Tŷ’r Cyffredin sy’n archwilio’r ffordd y caiff arholiadau pobl ifanc 15\-19 mlwydd oed eu gweinyddu yn Lloegr wedi adrodd ar ei ganfyddiadau yn ddiweddar. Nid yw’n argymell newid i strwythur sefydliad dyfarnu unigol ar gyfer cymwysterau yn Lloegr ond mae wedi gwneud argymhellion eraill yn y maes hwn. Nid yw Llywodraeth San Steffan wedi ymateb yn ffurfiol i’r Adroddiad hyd yma.

Nid yw argymhellion y panel ar gyfer Cymru yn fy arwain i gredu bod angen newidiadau uniongyrchol i strwythur y farchnad ar gyfer cymwysterau cyffredinol yng Nghymru. Bydd adroddiad ac argymhellion yr adolygiad hwn yn bwydo i’r Adolygiad o Gymwysterau a gaiff ei gadeirio gan Huw Evans OBE. Bydd yr Adolygiad hwnnw yn mynd gerbron y Gweinidogion ym mis Tachwedd eleni a byddwn yn ymateb yn ffurfiol i’r ddau adroddiad ar yr un pryd ym mis Ionawr 2013\. Fodd bynnag, mae datganiadau diweddar gan yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ar gyfer Addysg wedi awgrymu y gwneir, o bosibl, newidiadau sylweddol i’r strwythur dyfarnu cymwysterau yn Lloegr maes o law, a byddai oblygiadau mawr i hyn ar weithrediad CBAC yn Lloegr.  Bydd angen i fwrdd CBAC roi ystyriaeth i’r materion hyn ar frys. Byddaf yn cwrdd â Phrif Weithredwr CBAC i drafod mewn rhagor o fanylder y canfyddiadau a’r argymhellion sy’n ymwneud â CBAC. Byddaf hefyd yn eu trafod gyda Chymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru.