MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th November, 2020) The United Kingdom's Wales has canceled traditional end-of-year exams for 2021 to ensure "fairness," as students will have spent different amounts of time in schools and colleges amid the pandemic, education Minister Kirsty Williams said on Tuesday.
"There will be no exams for GCSE or AS level learners next year. A-level students will also not be required to sit exams. We remain optimistic that the public heath situation will improve, but the Primary reason for my decision is down to fairness; the time learners will spend in schools and colleges will vary hugely and, in this situation, it is impossible to guarantee a level playing field for exams to take place," Williams said in a statement.
According to the minister, the exams will be replaced by teacher-managed assessments, which "will be externally set and marked but delivered within a classroom environment under teacher supervision."
Universities across the UK have already confirmed that they are "used to accepting many different types of qualifications," but hope for a transparent approach that provides evidence of a learner's knowledge, the official noted.
She also explained that scrapping the exams would allow for teaching and learning to continue throughout the summer term and build the knowledge.
