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Confusion in the colleges to manage both the Cambridge exams, the NCE exams and internal exams
First scientific studies in May
The Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) has made public the provisional Time Table for the post-COVID-19 School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams. It is thus noted that the tests begin on Monday March 22 for the SC, and on Tuesday March 23, for the HSC, with tests of Food Studies. This will be the last week of the third term, which means that students from other classes will still be in school and that some internal exams will still be on the schedule. The college administration will therefore have to work extra hard for the organization, because Cambridge imposes strict security conditions for the holding of final secondary school exams.
Announced for April / May / June by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, upon resumption of post-containment, the SC and HSC events will finally start a week and a half earlier. Like every year, the practical papers are scheduled before the others. It is therefore the candidates in Food Studies and Art & Design who will sign up first for these unique exams. Remember that up to now, School Candidates have taken these tests in October / November.
This situation imposes on the colleges a new organization in relation to the holding of these tests. Because we know that Cambridge imposes requirements on examination centers, among others, only candidates and authorized persons can have access. College administrations are also awaiting instructions from the MES, the organizer of exams in Mauritius, on this subject.
The Time Table ”of the HSC exams thus shows that candidates in the technical field, with the practical tests in Food Studies, Art & Design, and Design & Textiles will take the exams first. Those of the classical stream will follow, with papers in French, sociology and English literature, from the second week of April. Three Business tests will be inserted there. The ancestral languages papers, Divinity, psychology, an Accounting paper, the Design & Textile written test and another of Design and Technology will follow ”.
It will be necessary to wait until May 4 for the first tests of the scientific sector, with the chemistry questionnaire. Because in addition to Marine Science, planned a little earlier, but which does not have a large number of candidates, those who have opted for science will have an advantage of at least a month and a half to continue their revisions, over the others. Then follow, papers in mathematics, economics and other scientific subjects, among others. The HSC exams will end on Friday, June 11, with the papers in economics, accounting (Accounting) and German.
In addition, at the School Certificate level, in addition to the practical sessions of Food Studies and Art & Design, scheduled for March 22 and 25, respectively, candidates must also take Oral English, before the start of the written exams. These are scheduled from March 30 to April 8. The first written exams are French and Business Studies, on April 12, followed by Additional Maths and Sociology, the next day.
As with the HSC, language tests, including ancestral languages and foreign languages, are scheduled before those for science subjects. The first paper being that of biology, May 4. And it is with a biology paper always, that these tests of SC 2021 will end.
Recall that due to the health emergency due to the new variant of COVID-19 in England, the British government has decided not to hold the exams, including those of Cambridge, for the second year in a row. However, the examiner was able to meet his commitments to foreign countries, where local authorities were able to organize the exams. The results of these examinations are expected around August. Remember also that this unprecedented situation, with the change of the school calendar, will also have the effect that the candidates for the School Certificate will only be entitled to two weeks of vacation before the resumption of classes, because they must move to Grade 12. So no long vacations for SC candidates until further notice.
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UNION DES RECTEURS – Preetam Mohitram: “We are waiting for the final copy of the Time-Table”
Asked about the timetables for the end of secondary school exams, Preetam Mohitram, president of the Union of Rectors and Deputy Rectors of State Secondary Schools, indicated that for the time being there should be no problem in the organization of examinations. “We will be in the last week of the third term and we will have classes that will be released. There is also the hall which can be used. However, we will have to wait for the final “time table” to be fixed, ”he says.
This provisional copy, he added, is important because it gives an idea of exam dates and helps candidates prepare. “It also allows us to see if there is no“ clash ”between the papers. In this case, it will be necessary to alert the MES to make arrangements. On the other hand, he said, a “time-table” can also impact exam results. “For example, there is a student who came to tell me that he will have nine days of examination in a row, without respite. “
Regarding human resources, Preetam Mohitram said that arrangements have already been made to release teachers who are retained by MES to work for exams, in particular Supervisors and Assistant Chief Coordinators. The college, he said, “will continue to function with those who are there.”
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