Harder A-levels and Bac boost

It follows proposals to introduce specialised diplomas in England, such as the International Baccalaureate alongside "more stretching" A-levels.

Ms Davidson said she would study the details before deciding the way forward but said that the diplomas were "not in competition" with the Welsh Bac.

She said the Welsh Bac was bilingual and tailored for most 14-19-year-olds.

The changes for England were outlined by Tony Blair in a speech in Birmingham. He said the International Baccalaureate would be available in a sixth form in every local authority area in England.

Both baccalaureates are intended to be broader-based options than A-levels in more than three subjects.

A plethora of academic choices may cause confusion for pupils and parents National Union of Teachers

When it was rolled out across Wales in October 2006, education expert Professor David Reynolds said the Welsh Bac was a "half-way house" between A-levels and the full International Baccalaureate.

On Friday, he told Radio Wales the England decision was a "non-issue" designed to gain "maximum publicity for minimal change".

Welsh

He said: "It's perfectly reasonable that in Wales we should take the existing qualifications, add a new Welsh core and call that the Welsh Baccalaureate."

But Conservative education spokesman William Graham AM said Tony Blair's announcement had "effectively strangled the Welsh Baccalaureate at birth".

Mr Graham said: "Jane Davidson must explain whether or not she was aware of this announcement; did she offer the Welsh Baccalaureate format to England; and did Blair reject the Welsh Baccalaureate model in favour of the International Baccalaureate?"

Ms Davidson said she "noted with interest" the proposals being put forward for specialised diplomas in England.

"We will need to study the details and consider the way forward for Wales, taking regard of our 14-19 and Welsh Baccalaureate plans," she said.

She said the International Baccalaureate Diploma was also approved for use in Wales and was "not in competition with the Welsh Bac.

"While we welcome the use of this qualification (the International Baccalaureate) for those who can benefit from it in Wales, it is not designed to meet the needs of all our 16-19 olds and it is not available through the medium of Welsh."

'Bounced'

Ms Davidson said the Welsh Bac as well as being available in Welsh and English, was "tailor-made" for most students in Wales aged between 14 and 19.

Students must still pass at least two A-levels to obtain the qualifcation but they also take part in work-related education, voluntary work as well as academic studies including politics and languages.

More than 30 schools and colleges have been involved in its pilot.

On the revamped A-levels from 2008, Ms Davidson said they would contain more open-ended questions "that need greater thought and more extended written responses".

Plaid's education spokeswoman Janet Ryder AM said Ms Davidson had been "bounced" into making her statement on A-levels

"The statement from the Labour assembly government simply follows an announcement made by Tony Blair shows once again that 'clear red water' is a sham."

"Meanwhile the National Union of Teachers in Wales said it did not agree that offering the International Baccalaureate in England would detract from the value of its Welsh equivalent.

But the union was surprised that Tony Blair had not considered a more "home grown" option for students in England because "a plethora of academic choices may cause confusion for pupils and parents".