Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Ali Al Hammadi during a press conference at the Ministry, yesterday
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has managed to conclude this year’s Secondary School Certificate examinations, which were held in exceptional situations because of coronavirus outbreak.
Giving credit of successful completion of examinations to all stakeholders, Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Ali Al Hammadi thanked parents, students and all educational staffs for their commitments and compliance with plans and policies.
Addressing a press conference yesterday at the Ministry, to announce the final result of the secondary exams, H E the Minister said that this year’s result was satisfactory with average of 85.29 percent which is higher than previous year’s and no subject has average less than previous year.
This year students secured higher rates and four students obtained 100 percent in all subjects. His Excellency said this is because 75 percent of the study in the academic year 2019/2020 was done regularly before the COVID-19 restrictions were imposed and remaining 25 percent was taught through remote classes said H E the Minister, noting that many efforts have been made and facilities were provided to ensure these achievements.
Along the students’ commitment, parents worked under pressure. The final curriculum was also helpful this year compared to the previous years he added. We took into account the current situation in terms of number of questions and duration of exams he told The Peninsula, when asked whether the Ministry maintained the usual standards of exams or simplified questions comparing to the previous years to help students under COVID-19 pandemic situation.
“The exam timings were reduced to 50 percent, and accordingly the number of questions was also reduced in order to avoid keeping students for long time in school”. But this was made as per the standards and ensuring that knowledge, skills and contents of the courses were covered,” H E the Minister added.
There were 110 students in quarantine who were not able to sit for exams, and special tests will be organized for them related to the second-round curriculum taking into account their health conditions. This year we reviewed the assessment system, where more departments of the ministry, experts from education department, Evaluation Department, and teachers took part in the preparation of the exams in order to assess the students’ performances from different dimensions taking into account individual differences between students he added. Earlier exams were prepared by the Evaluation Department but this year different competent departments of the ministry participated according to a plan set up before the COVID-19 situation, H E the Minister told The Peninsula.
In regards to change on the school calendar, H E the Minister said the second-round exams have been moved from June to August for grades 1 to 12, due to the health requirements. The ministry has set more than one scenarios for the coming academic year 2020/2021 in line to the situation and heath procedures and policies of the government.
For her part the Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, H E Fawzia Al Khater said: “Distance learning will be essential part of our education system hereafter, not only because of pandemic but it is important and effective due to the availability of facilities and technology. This year’s experience will help us to improve and introduce the distance learning in the future with higher efficiency, H E added.
There is a circular sent to all schools in Qatar to fill the gaps that may have occurred in curriculum coverage due to the sudden suspension of classes, she added. Qatar successfully managed to overcome difficulties of COVID-19 by enabling our students to sit for Secondary School examinations and thus they will be able to join universities of their choice, which is an advantage many students in the world have been deprived of, H E Al Khater stressed.
Replying to a question by The Peninsula that, can we expect change in the assessment and evaluation system next year or after by adopting continues assessment system where final result can be combined with the final assessment to calculate a final grade, instead of having first and second round of exams, the Assistant Undersecretary for Evaluation Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Khalid Al Harqan, said: “There was a committee formed by Ministerial decision before the COVID-19 pandemic, to study and examine the assessment system and it is about to start its work and it is expected to produce a proposal which match with our new curriculum and policies”.
