Covid-19: School-based mid-year exams cancelled, national exams to go on in June

SINGAPORE — Mid-year examinations will be cancelled as all schools move to home-based learning from next Wednesday (April 8).

Classes will resume on May 5, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in a joint statement on Friday (April 3).

While school-based mid-year examinations will not be held, national examinations, such as the mid-year GCE O-Level and A-Level mother tongue examinations will continue to take place in June. 

The ministries also announced that preschools, MOE Kindergartens and student care centres will suspend their general services from April 8 to May 4.  

They can, however, continue to remain open to serve a limited group of parents who are unable to find alternative care arrangements, such as those who work in essential services.

Private education institutions have also been encouraged to move to home-based learning. Otherwise, they should suspend classes, the ministries said.

Speaking at the multi-ministry task-force briefing on Friday, Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung said that the authorities have been preparing for the possibility of school closures.

That is why MOE implemented a one-day trial of home-based learning this week, he said.

“So every child has a chance to go through (home-based learning), including the teachers… This helped us solve many problems and solve technical glitches.”

He added that as the authorities announced new safe-distancing measures on Friday, it is now the right time and there is now good reason for schools to move to home-based learning next week.

In the press statement, the ministries said that they will continue to closely monitor the pandemic to assess if the measures need to be prolonged.

They said: “Parents are strongly encouraged to keep their children at home during this period.

“Those working in essential services such as healthcare, who are unable to secure alternative care arrangements, may approach their children’s primary schools and preschools for assistance.”

SUPPORT FOR HOME-BASED LEARNING

The one-day trial for home-based learning this week has prepared students, parents and teachers for more extensive remote learning, MOE said.

“During the full period, schools will continue to provide instructions and support for students to access a range of both online and hardcopy home-based learning materials so that learning continues uninterrupted,” it added.

Teachers and school personnel — both those who are working from home and from school — will continue to provide support for students.

School staff members will also continue to keep in regular contact with students and parents as well, MOE said.

The ministry added that for students with special needs, special education teachers will provide this group of students and their parents with home-based learning support for the customised curriculum.

Schools will also be assisting students who may require digital devices or internet access.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS

To accommodate the move to full home-based learning, MOE said that all school-based mid-year examinations will be cancelled.

However, national examinations, such as the mid-year GCE O-Level and A-Level mother tongue examinations will continue to take place in June.

The end-of-year Primary School Leaving Examination, along with year-end examinations, will also proceed as planned, with the necessary precautionary measures in place, MOE said.

For institutes of higher learning, they will be making adjustments to their examination and assessment formats to accommodate the new measures, it added.

PRESCHOOLS AND STUDENT CARE CENTRES

To accommodate the new measures, the Early Childhood Development Agency will waive the minimum one-day attendance requirement for preschool subsidies in April.

MSF will also waive the minimum attendance requirement for Student Care Fee Assistance subsidies in April.

Home-based learning resources developed by the various preschools will be shared to other preschools and parents, the ministry said.

Preschools will also continue to keep in contact with children during this period to check on their general well-being and progress.