A WELSH Government minister said she does not expect an A-Levels controversy like the one unfolding in Scotland to happen in Wales.

The Scottish Government has apologised to students over grading, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying too much emphasis had been put on the system, to the detriment of individuals.

Her intervention came after protests from students and it seems likely that the moderation system that downgraded many students' results in Scotland will be abandoned.

Seeking to reassure students, housing and local government minister Julie James said at the weekly Welsh Government coronavirus press briefing, that things are different in Wales.

"I am really happy to reassure every learner in Wales that the model here is different (to that in Scotland)," she said, adding that the system here “takes into account work that has been completed by the students".

"For example, here in Wales we’ve never let go of AS-Levels. So if you took A-Levels this year then you would have had your AS-Levels last year, and they would have contributed 40 per cent to your A-Level grade.

“We are very keen that our learners are given the accolades they need for the hard work that they’ve done, but also that they get the grades they deserve and those grades are robust.”

Ms James said the system in Wales has been approved by the body Qualifications Wales.

"I do not expect what has happened in Scotland to happen here," she said.

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But she was non-committal on the issue of whether or not the Welsh Government would make student appeals over grades free.

“The appeals process in Wales will be in place. Schools will be able to appeal if they need to do so," she said.

"We'll wait to see what the results are. It's too early to say at the moment what the level of appeal might look like, or what the results might be.

"We’re a couple of days in advance of the results coming out.”

In Scotland, Ms Sturgeon has sought to assure students that they would not need to appeal their moderated grades, and her beleaguered education minister John Swinney - who this afternoon faces a vote of no confidence over the grading issue in the Scottish Parliament - appears to have been left with little wriggle room to do anything other than go with the original grades awarded by teachers.