The dates for the external ex­aminations for Years 12 and 13 stu­dents will remain.

Minister for Education, Herit­age and Arts Premila Kumar made those remarks at the Sigatoka Spe­cial School where she kicked off her Western Division tour yesterday.

The ministry ear­lier revealed that the dates for the Year 13 external exams were scheduled for February 1. She said that there is ample time for the stu­dents to sit for the external exam.

“We can’t shift the examination dates, because the results are im­portant for the tertiary institu­tions,” she said.

Compassionate leave, assessments

Ms Kumar added that students who were in isolation and cannot attend the Year 13 and Year 12 ex­ternal exams would be granted com­passionate leave.

She added that there were other methods of assessment as well, which has been worked out.

“But all in all, none of the students will be penalised,” she said.

Ms Kumar added that there has been a lot of exaggeration going on with the number of COVID-positive cases on teachers and students.

She said the ministry was compil­ing the numbers.

“The numbers will be based on the letters we have received from Min­istry of Health submitted by the teachers,” she said.

“The only way we can separate the two is by looking at the letters that were given by the Ministry of Health, saying that, they’re COVID-positive, and therefore they need to be isolated.”

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