Saturday 06 March 2021
The decision about students sitting international exams was made by us after taking advice on Thursday. We acknowledged in the media release that there are pros and cons to students sitting these exams given the global climate at the moment. Since, however this announcement was made this evening we have received strong and articulate representations from students affected. As a result, the Committee wants to take a little more time to consider this issue to make sure the decision is the right one for those it affects the most - the students. The decision will be temporarily set aside and we will issue a further statement on this early next week. We do apologise sincerely for any upset caused to students by the way in which this message has been conveyed this evening. We believe it should have been cascaded directly to students via their schools.
ORIGINAL STATEMENT FROM THE COMMITTEE:
The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture has resolved that international exams will go ahead for students this year, unless any further outbreak means that is no longer possible.
Most public exams overseen by the UK government have been cancelled and are being replaced by an alternative assessment process based on teacher assessment. However, many students in the Bailiwick also take exams from international organisations which have not been cancelled.
Approximately 60% of students at the Sixth Form Centre take some form of international qualification.
These include an A level in media studies and IGCSE qualifications in PE, DT and Latin, all of which are overseen by Cambridge International Examinations, and for many, the International Baccalaureate, or IB.
The policy from both organisations is that exams are the fairest and most accurate way of assessing students' performance, and therefore they should go ahead in June 2021 unless it is unsafe to hold them or the government does not permit them. Both organisations have contingency plans in place should any jurisdiction need to swiftly move to other forms of assessment should there be an outbreak during the exam period which would make sitting of exams unsafe.
While there are arguments for and against having exams in this period of uncertainty, having listened to a range of views the Committee decided that there were more pros than cons to exams going ahead
School leaders across the Bailiwick remain committed to ensuring they support their students and staff in the preparation necessary to ensure examinations run smoothly.
