Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification

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The Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification, also known as WBQ or Welsh Bac, is a pre-university qualification which will be offered in the future to schools and colleges in Wales^[1]. Where offered, the WBQ runs alongside and complements qualifications such as A-levels and GCSEs. 31 schools and colleges are running a pilot scheme as of 2005. The Welsh Assembly Government has announced staged roll-out of the WBQ across Wales from September 2007 and intends that at least one quarter of Welsh students will be studying for the qualification by 2010.

In Wales, 63 % of WBQ students passed the qualification in 2006, compared to fewer than 50 % in 2005 and a 97 % pass rate in A-level subjects.^[2]

[edit] Criticism

The Welsh Bac has come under criticism from some students who believe that the programme is a waste of time they could have spent studying for their selected A-level courses^{[citation needed]}. Another criticism of the programme is that many of the areas and skills taught are ones that students are already aware of.^{[citation needed]}

Compared to the International Baccalaureate, the breadth of the WBQ is questionable: It is possible to achieve the WBQ with no science content, for example; whereas the IB Diploma requires study of science, maths, a first language, a second language, and 'people and societies'. The IB Diploma can be prescriptive because it is based on a unique curriculum which allows six subjects to be studied simultaneously. The A-levels and National Diplomas of the WBQ are broader and require more time per subject; which limits the number of subjects.

The WBQ offers vocational qualifications within its framework which the IB Diploma does not.

However, independent external evaluation of the pilot programme^{[citation needed]} found that by their final year, many students see its worth, including when applying to university. Many of the top UK institutions^{[citation needed]} now accept the qualification in lieu of a third A level.