ENTERING pupils for exams early will be discussed in detail at a future Schools and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The committee received a question from the public about the issue at its meeting last week but more time to gather information is required.

The questioner, a retired maths teacher, asked that the committee consider the “practice of submitting students for GCSE Maths and English a year earlier than they should be sitting them”.

This happens at many of the county’s schools, with committee chairman Cllr Johns Davies adding it was something that seemed to happen more frequently recently.

On Thursday (September 21) the committee agreed that a full discussion about the practice be held at its January meeting to allow information to be gathered and to coincide with the visit of the managing director of regional educational organisation ERW.

“I think it requires far more research and time on the agenda to give it the right and proper scrutiny it requires,” added Cllr Davies.

The reason behind asking the committee to take up the discussion states: “I have been very concerned about this practice for many years.

“The Welsh Assembly are not in favour of entering children a year early and as the council have left the decision to individual schools, I feel that people like myself have to work on behalf of the students.

“It is certainly not in their best interest to be entered for GCSE after only one year of the two year course. It is also putting unnecessary pressure on the exam system within the schools.”

The questioner will also be invited to the January meeting.

The committee resolved that the “whole gambit” be looked at including early entry to all subjects be examined as well as the financial pressure it puts on exam budgets.