National exams to proceed as scheduled; Ed. Ministry takes health precautions
View(s):The Education Ministry has requested all students sitting for national exams to provide information of themselves and their families due to COVID-19 health checks.
The Ministry has posted a form on its website, and it has requested all students sitting for the grade five scholarship exams and Advanced Level (A/L) exams to provide information on their health conditions and their families’ health conditions.
The form asked if the students had any COVID symptoms such as sneezing, throat irritation or fever within the last three days, if they had come into contact with any patients/foreigners/ overseas returnees and if they had followed the 14 days compulsory quarantine period if they had been in contact with any COVID patients/foreigners/ overseas returnees.
The form also sought information on their transport mode to exam centres. The website said the information provided would be maintained with confidentiality.
However, School Affairs Additional Secretary L.M.D. Dharmasena, said it is not compulsory to fill in the forms as the grade five scholarship exams will be held today (October 11), and A/L exams would begin tomorrow (October 12) and end on November 6.
“There is hardly any time for the students to fill this form. They can walk in with their admission forms, even if they have not filled the other form,” Mr. Dharmasena said.
Around 700,000 students would be sitting for both exams. -CC