No delay or cancellation in CAIE exams, confirms Shafqat

Physical classes for grades 1-8 to remain suspended; classes for grades 9-12 to be made regular in 'staggered manner'

ISLAMABAD:

Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood announced on Sunday that A, AS, O level and IGCSE exams will take place as per the date sheet announced by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), and there will be no delay or cancellation.

The decision, he informed, was taken at a special meeting of health and education ministers of all provinces including Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Shafqat wrote on his official Twitter handle.

However, he added that students wishing to take their Cambridge exams in the October/November session instead will be allowed to do so in the same fee they have paid already.

 

It was also decided with complete consensus among ministers that A, AS, O level and IGCSE exams will take place as per date sheet announced by CAIES. There will be no delay or cancellation. Those students wishing to take exams in Oct/Nov can do so in the same fee already paid

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 18, 2021

 

“[The] Meeting was also informed that Cambridge has decided not to give teacher assessed grades this year therefore those not taking exams will take them in the next cycle Oct/Nov. Cambridge also assured that all SOPs will be strictly followed,” the education minister wrote.

 

Meeting was also informed that Cambridge has decided not to give teacher assessed grades this year therefore those not taking exams will take them in the next cycle Oct/Nov. Cambridge also assured that all SOPs will be strictly followed

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 18, 2021

 

Moreover, the education minister stated that classes for grades 9 to 12 will commence in a staggered manner in all affected districts, to allow students to prepare for their board exams.

The meeting also decided that exams for the aforementioned classes will take place according to the new date sheets announced by the provincial education boards.

 

A special meeting of Health and Education Ministers of all provinces and AJK/GB was held today. The following decisions were taken with complete consensus. 1) Classes 9 to 12 would commence in affected districts in a staggered manner to allow students to prepare for Board exams

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 18, 2021

 

Read Punjab to resume physical classes for grades 9-12 from Monday

“This means [exams] will not start before 4th week of May,” the minister wrote, adding that, “University admissions schedule will be adjusted keeping in view the new exam time table.”

2. 9 to 12 exams will take place according to the new date sheets announced by the Boards. This means will not start before 4th week of May. University admissions schedule will be adjusted keeping in view the new exam time table

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 18, 2021

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The meeting further decided that universities in affected districts will continue conducting classes online while districts with less than eight per cent positivity will be allowed to hold physical classes. Furthermore, classes 1 to 8 were decided to remain suspended across the country.

Universities in affected districts will continue online while in districts with less than 8% positivity they will continue to function

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 18, 2021

It was also decided that classes 1 to 8 will remain closed. The details will be announced by the provinces and GB/AJK

— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) April 18, 2021

“The following decisions were taken with complete consensus,” said the federal education minister.

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Previously, the government decided to extend the closure of schools – classes 1 to 8 – in the districts most affected by the coronavirus till the 28th of April.

Speaking to the media, Shafqat said that classes 9 to 12 would resume from April 19, even in the most-affected districts with strict adherence to the precautionary standard operating procedures (SOPs), while the board exams would be held from the third week of May.

“These classes [1 to 8] can take place online but there will be no physical presence during the sessions,” he said. “It is the prerogative of the provinces to decide as to which of their districts are most affected and require strict measures.”

The decisions were taken in a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) – the government’s unified effort against the pandemic. The education minister said that the NCOC would review the situation on April 28.