Coronavirus: 20 things to know about the school and exam decisions

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted schools and exams. Here is a quick guide to find out how the decisions announced by Education Minister Owen Bonnici impact your child's schooling

The coronavirus has disrupted schooling in many countries
The coronavirus has disrupted schooling in many countries

General

1. Schools and educational institutions to remain closed until June. They will re-open in September/October.

Primary schools

2. All students in primary will progress to the next year. No exams will be held in Year 4, 5 and 6.

3. Year 4 students will go up to Year 5, and Year 5 students will go up to Year 6 within their same class.

4. Benchmark exams at end of Year 6 will not be held. Assessments will be used to grade students instead.

Secondary shcools

5. Students in Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10, will progress to the next year. No exams will be held.

O-level exams

6. Matsec O-level exams starting in April will not be held.

7. Students will be graded according to mock exam results. The Matsec board will take note of the student’s results, the mock paper itself and the grading system used by the school.

8. Matsec will issue either a Level 2 or Level 3 certificate. Level 2 represents grades 6-7, and Level 3 represents grades 1-5.

9. These certificates will be accepted for entry into post-secondary institutions.

10. O-level exams will be held in September and anybody who wants to improve on the Matsec certification can sit for them. Students can decide to retain the grade issued by Matsec instead.

11. Independent candidates, mature students or those who did not sit for their mock exams can sit for the O-level exams in September.

A-level and intermediate exams

12. A-level and Intermediate-level exams will not be held in the session starting from 23 April.

13. A- and Int-level exams will instead be held in September. Students will soon be sent a timetable and all relevant details.

14. The sessions will not intrude in the scholastic year starting in October.

15. Students who don’t pass the required exams in the September session will be allowed to start tertiary courses at University, MCAST and other institutions as students on probation. They will be able to do resits in October, and if they pass, will be confirmed as students.

University and MCAST

16. At university, exams will take place during the normal June sessions. Exceptions will apply for clinical placements or teaching practice.

17. Students will be graded in different ways – assignments and other online tools - and will not be required to go to an examination hall.

18. Final year medical students’ placements are taking place in areas of the hospital not seeing Covid-19 patients. Once placements are over, exams will take place within the normal timeframe as long as examiners are not too occupied with hospital work.

19. For third and fourth-year medical students, placements will take place in subsequent years.

20. MCAST students will be assessed through online platforms or assignments.

EDUCATION HELPINE: 25981000