Students who missed the national external assessment exams in grades 4, 7 and 10 will have a second chance to take them. From the second date, students who have been in hospital, under quarantine or had a death in the family will be able to benefit.
This is provided for by changes in an ordinance of the Ministry of Education and Science, which were published for public discussion on Monday.
The second date for the exams is very important for the seventh graders, because with the grades from the national external assessment they apply to high school.
The current situation is “unfair”
Until now, children who failed to take one of the two mandatory exams after the 7th grade – in Bulgarian language or in mathematics, automatically received 0 points and thus lost a chance to be placed in a better school. Their only option was to participate in the rankings with marks from Olympiads and competitions, but not all students take these exams voluntarily.
“Over the years, the exam after the seventh grade has become extremely important for children, and the system has really excluded the possibility that they have a real serious problem that would not allow them to take it”, commented the Minister of Education Prof. Galin Tsokov, quoted by the press center of the Ministry of Education. According to him, the current situation is “unfair”.
Prof. Tsokov added that it is important for students in the fourth and tenth grades to have a second chance to pass the exam. “The proposals for changes will come into force from the coming school year, and so in practice we will give this equality to children for the first time”said Prof. Tsokov.
Participation in the ranking
In order for students to appear on the alternative dates for the exams, their parents will have to submit an application to the relevant head of the regional education department within two days of the regular tests. They must attach copies of documents from the hospital, from the regional health inspection, proving the hospital stay or quarantine, or a copy of the death certificate, presenting their originals for verification. The new date for the exams will be determined by order of the Minister of Education and Science.
“With the change, conditions are provided for students to apply in stages of the rankings for the places from the approved admission plan. In the event that the rankings have ended, students can also be accepted above the approved admission plan where the ball will be larger or equal to the last ranked and accepted student in the class and the conditions of the physical environment of the school allow it”the message says.
