GCSE and A level students in every part of Wales will be able to join classes by video link from next year, the Welsh Government has announced. The e-sgol programme lets GCSE and A level pupils join classes at other schools via video link.
It will increase the number of GCSE and A/AS-level options available for pupils, especially for those at smaller, rural schools, widening access to a greater range of subjects. E-sgol, as it is known, also aims to broaden the subjects available to study through the medium of Welsh.
E-sgol was launched in three schools in Ceredigion in 2018 to expand opportunities for post-14 and post-16 learners to study courses that would not otherwise be available to them. It was also hoped it would increase the number of students studying subjects which normally attract lower numbers.
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This year, 28 subjects have been taught to more than 350 pupils through e-sgol. Lessons are available in subjects including criminology, politics and psychology. In order to expand the programme the Welsh Government has increased funding for e-sgol to £600,000 this financial year, from £350,000 last year.
In January 2021, e-sgol introduced Cyrsiau Carlam, after-school revision sessions, to help children across Wales after disruption caused by Covid. The programme has also been used to create a partnership between a secondary school and a pupil referral unit, to offer a wider range of subjects to learners at the unit.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the scheme will be expanded from September 2023 with the increased funding: “E-sgol is an excellent example of how we can harness digital technology to improve education. By broadening the study options for learners at GCSE and A-level, e-sgol gives learners the opportunity of studying exciting subjects which would not have been available at many schools in the past.
“Having started as a pilot project in only three schools in 2018, the programme is a great example of how a successful pilot project can be developed to benefit all learners in Wales. E-sgol benefits pupils in rural areas in particular and learners in Welsh-medium education. I am delighted to increase funding to £600,0000 to expand the scheme and provide a greater choice of subjects for leaners across Wales."
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