The Ministry of Education is looking into alternative solutions amid pandemic measures for the final exams of public Upper Secondary School (Lyceum) pupils that involve a proposal to hold the exams with fewer pupils per classroom, philenews reports.
The Ministry is placing special emphasis on final year pupils as through their final exams they not only compete for a place in Cypriot and Greek universities but they also obtain their Apolyterion, the official senior secondary education school completion certificate in Cyprus and Greece.
One of the scenarios being examined is to hold the university entry exams (known as Pancyprian Exams) with fewer pupils in each classroom in order to adhere to protective measures for Covid-19, with plans to make considerably more classrooms and supervisory staff available compared to previous years to that end.
Philenews reports that the initial dates for holding the exams (May 18-June 12) will likely be pushed back into June, with a major factor affecting the final dates being the obligatory enlisting of boys to the National Guard that takes place in early July.
The possibility of extending the school year is not something the Ministry is looking into at the moment, it was added, as the year ends on June 30 and theoretically that allows sufficient time for decisions and procedures to take place.
It is also expected that exam subjects, as well as paper grading, will be largely affected by the conditions brought about by the virus outbreak, with procedures reportedly being simplified.
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