:00:17. > :00:20.I Good evening. It's emerged the Welsh Government
:00:21. > :00:23.gave assurances to teachers 16 months ago that pupils would not be
:00:24. > :00:29.disadvantaged by the introduction of new English language GCSE exams.
:00:30. > :00:32.Teachers from a hundred schools have expressed anger at unexpectedly low
:00:33. > :00:38.grades received by pupils who sat the exams in January. They say it's
:00:39. > :00:47.left pupils, parents and teachers distraught. Here's our Education
:00:48. > :00:50.Correspondent, Arwyn Jones. When we first revealed concerns
:00:51. > :00:57.about January's disappointing exam results, teachers at this school
:00:58. > :01:01.were among the first to share their concerns. One week on, and they are
:01:02. > :01:05.still none the wiser about what went wrong. Teachers are any good
:01:06. > :01:12.position to judge the standards of English the classroom. We will
:01:13. > :01:15.compare students over a period of years, we will track their
:01:16. > :01:20.performance and the professional judgement of teachers is what we
:01:21. > :01:27.will rely on Amir getting pupils ready for exams. He is one of over
:01:28. > :01:30.100 heads who have given evidence to their union. It was taken to a
:01:31. > :01:36.meeting between unions and Government officials here. Among the
:01:37. > :01:41.hundred, not a single one of them has said that they are concerned
:01:42. > :01:47.about the bar, the challenge being raised, for their students. Every
:01:48. > :01:52.single one of them, almost has said that we do not know where the bar
:01:53. > :01:56.has been set. These exams were marked differently with more
:01:57. > :01:59.emphasis on spelling and grammar. Teachers had sought and got
:02:00. > :02:03.assurances from the Welsh Government about the changes well over a year
:02:04. > :02:10.ago. BBC Wales has seen a copy of a letter sent in October 20 12th AV
:02:11. > :02:13.then director of the schools departments. He was addressing
:02:14. > :02:15.concerns by teachers about the introduction of the new guidelines.
:02:16. > :02:41.He acknowledged that... Isn't it awful for the second year
:02:42. > :02:45.running we have a cohort of pupils who are having the results that they
:02:46. > :02:51.did not expect and that will impact on their chances going forward. We
:02:52. > :02:55.ask the Education Minister for an interview, but were told that
:02:56. > :02:59.interviews will only begin once the Welsh Government's review reports
:03:00. > :03:10.back to him. In a statement, a spokesman said...
:03:11. > :03:17.January's English-language exams were unique to Wales for the first
:03:18. > :03:19.time. It was meant to be a way of regrading veal -- avoiding the
:03:20. > :03:29.regrading fiasco we had. Earlier this week, he criticised his
:03:30. > :03:32.party's leader, now he's been sacked. Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas has
:03:33. > :03:35.been fired as Plaid Cymru's transport spokesman and as chair of
:03:36. > :03:37.the Assembly's Environment Committee. It comes after he
:03:38. > :03:50.criticised the leadership for its attack on the UK Independence Party.
:03:51. > :03:57.The leader Leanne would make an attack on the UKIP the centre of her
:03:58. > :04:02.speech in the Spring Conference. A vote for UKIP was, she said, a vote
:04:03. > :04:07.against Wales and the Welsh national interest. It came after a press
:04:08. > :04:12.release had described support for UKIP as an Welsh. It was that
:04:13. > :04:14.rhetoric that prompted the former leader Dafydd Elis-Thomas to
:04:15. > :04:22.describe the mode of criticism as facile. I don't know what the word
:04:23. > :04:28.on the Welsh means. We emphasise equality, we emphasise that it
:04:29. > :04:35.applies to all up of the people of Wales, so don't call your fellow
:04:36. > :04:40.citizens or your colleagues names. Even if they are a party that you
:04:41. > :04:43.disagree with. Today he was sacked. Leanne Wood said the people of
:04:44. > :04:57.Wales... Sources have told BBC Wales the
:04:58. > :04:59.action was taken after a number of complaints from party members
:05:00. > :05:03.regarding Dafydd Elis-Thomas's behaviour. He says he is considering
:05:04. > :05:06.whether to challenge the decision to strip him of the committee chair.
:05:07. > :05:13.This sacking is obviously the result of critical comments by Dafydd
:05:14. > :05:18.Elis-Thomas to his political leader. But it is a reflection of the
:05:19. > :05:23.importance of unity for the party at critical time while they try to
:05:24. > :05:29.retain their seat at the European Parliament in the actions in May.
:05:30. > :05:33.The trial of the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons,
:05:34. > :05:37.Nigel Evans, has been hearing from one man who says he woke up to find
:05:38. > :05:41.the MP's hands all over him. He claims he was assaulted by the
:05:42. > :05:45.Swansea-born MP while he slept on a sofa. The man said he wasn't keen to
:05:46. > :05:47.report the incident at the time. Mr Evans denies all the charges against
:05:48. > :05:49.him. A church minister from
:05:50. > :05:51.Carmarthenshire has been charged over an allegation of historical
:05:52. > :05:54.child abuse. 82-year-old Gwyn Ieuan Morgan will appear in court next
:05:55. > :06:04.month accused of indecently assaulting a boy aged under 14. He's
:06:05. > :06:07.been suspended from his two chapels. There's concern over 400 jobs at the
:06:08. > :06:11.Land Registry in Swansea. Unions say they won't rule out going on strike
:06:12. > :06:16.over UK Government proposals to privatise some of the service. The
:06:17. > :06:28.Government says no decision has been made yet. If it isn't broke, why are
:06:29. > :06:33.we fixing it? It is profitable, it is highly respected. Even the legal
:06:34. > :06:36.profession is saying that this is a step too
:06:37. > :06:41.The community of Machynlleth has been recognised for the support
:06:42. > :06:43.given to the family of murdered five-year-old April Jones at the
:06:44. > :06:46.first St David Awards. First Minister Carwyn Jones' special award
:06:47. > :06:49.was presented by April's parents Paul and Coral at an event in
:06:50. > :06:53.Cardiff. Singer Bryn Terfel, Olympian Jade Jones, and scientist
:06:54. > :06:59.Dr Lyn Evans were also among those honoured.
:07:00. > :07:04.Rugby, and Warren Gatland has made six changes from the side that lost
:07:05. > :07:07.to England. Front row Lions Richard Hibbard and Adam Jones are dropped
:07:08. > :07:12.to the bench and replaced by Ken Owens and Rhodri Jones. Adam Jones
:07:13. > :07:15.is on the bench for the first time under Gatland, but prop Gethin
:07:16. > :07:19.Jenkins keeps his place for a record 105th cap. Dan Biggar is at
:07:20. > :07:23.fly-half, Mike Phillips at scrum-half and Liam Williams at
:07:24. > :07:27.fullback. Despite not having any silverwear to play for, Wales are
:07:28. > :07:37.determined to end their campaign on a high. The bus journey back on
:07:38. > :07:43.Sunday was pretty bad, but I think we have dusted ourselves off and we
:07:44. > :07:48.are excited to play in Cardiff. It is the best place to play in the
:07:49. > :07:53.world. We want to play rugby and show what we are capable of. We are
:07:54. > :07:55.obviously disappointed about Sunday, but we have a gain now to put it
:07:56. > :08:05.right, hopefully. Hello. Most of Wales enjoyed some
:08:06. > :08:11.sunshine today, but not everywhere. Parts of the coast stayed cold and
:08:12. > :08:16.foggy and there is more folk to come with a Met Office warning in force.
:08:17. > :08:20.Tonight, it will be dry with mist and fog patches that will become
:08:21. > :08:25.more widespread, dense and places, too. Where the sky does remain
:08:26. > :08:29.clear, it will be remain cold enough for a frost. Here is tomorrow's
:08:30. > :08:34.chart. High pressure is keeping things settled. More isobars in the
:08:35. > :08:39.North, more windy conditions there. Tomorrow morning, in Wales, mist and
:08:40. > :08:44.fog will be a hazard, dense and places. Some poor visibility. But it
:08:45. > :08:48.won't be foggy everywhere. Some places will be bright with sunshine.
:08:49. > :08:52.Across the West of the UK, take care if you are travelling, mist and fog
:08:53. > :08:56.patches will slowly lift. The best of the sunshine around the Midlands
:08:57. > :09:03.and Eastern England. Further North, it will be windy with rain for parts
:09:04. > :09:07.of Scotland. 10 Celsius in Glasgow, 16 Celsius in London. Dry in Wales
:09:08. > :09:14.tomorrow afternoon, the best of the sunshine will be in parts of Powys.
:09:15. > :09:19.Cloudy in the South and West. A high of 14 Celsius. Much cooler on the
:09:20. > :09:23.coast with a westerly breeze. The breeze will keep most of the fog
:09:24. > :09:28.away tomorrow night, temperatures staying above freezing. Saturday, a
:09:29. > :09:33.decent day, the cloud breaking with some sunshine. Generally dry with
:09:34. > :09:38.highs of 12 Celsius. A nice day for the rugby. More dry weather to come
:09:39. > :09:42.on Sunday and into the start of next week. In the meantime, watch out for
:09:43. > :09:49.those fog patches tonight and tomorrow morning.
:09:50. > :09:53.More on our website. We will have the latest for you at 6:25am. Good
:09:54. > :09:56.night.