Year-end exams cancelled for Primary 3 and 4 students: MOE

SINGAPORE: Year-end examinations for Primary 3 and 4 students will be cancelled to allow more time for "curriculum recovery" due to disruptions from COVID-19, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Thursday (Oct 7).

"Schools will be able to draw on information from a range of school-based assessments that were conducted throughout the year to report students’ learning progress and provide feedback," said the ministry in the press release. 

The schools can also use such assessments to make recommendations on students’ subject combinations where necessary, it added.

An example would be whether to offer Standard or Foundation level for specific subjects from the start of Primary 5, where necessary.

There are about 79,000 students in Primary 3 and 4 in total, the ministry told CNA.

The year-end examinations for Primary 5 students will still proceed under strict safe management measures, said MOE.  

This "will allow students and parents to obtain a better understanding of students’ learning progress in relation to the Achievement Level (AL) scoring system, prior to taking the PSLE next year". 

There are no year-end examinations for Primary 1 and 2 pupils. Primary 6 students were already back in schools earlier to sit for the PSLE between Sep 30 and Oct 6.

STUDENTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL 

In the press release on Thursday, MOE also announced the end of home-based learning (HBL).

“This is in line with our approach to minimise prolonged HBL where possible, for the socio-emotional well-being of students,” the ministry said.

Primary 3 to 6 students will return to school from Monday next week, while Primary 1 and 2 pupils will return from Wednesday.

The phased approach is to ensure that safe management measures can be implemented effectively, said MOE. 

Special education (SPED) schools will be provided with more details on the phased return of students.

Parents of Primary 1 to Primary 5 students will have to do an antigen rapid test (ART) swab on their children at home on either Oct 8 or Oct 9 prior to returning to school and report the results via a link that will be sent to them.

The Government had earlier placed all primary and special education schools on home-based learning from Sep 27 to Oct 6 amid a rise in COVID-19 community cases. This was extended to Oct 7 as an "added precaution". 

Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) and other after-school activities will continue to be suspended for all levels, including secondary schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute.