School exams in Scotland will be canceled for the first time since it started in 1888.
Scotland cancels school exams amid COVID-19 outbreak
It will be the first time school exams in Scotland will be canceled, since it started in 1888. This is still in line with the pandemic hitting the world today in the form of the COVID-19. The news came out after three new deaths were recorded in Scotland. The government is taking additional precautions not to put the children’s health in jeopardy.
In a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skill in the UK, John Swinney:
This call to action by the government is not anticipated considering the severity of the extent of COVID-19 crisis has arrived into. Even the two world wars didn’t stopped the exams way back then, this explains how serious this pandemic we are encountering today.
The Scottish government also followed the earlier mandate of the UK government to close all schools in the country, Scotland will start its closure this Friday. But despite the closure of schools and cancellation of school exams, Mr. Swinney urges school teachers and administrators to still come up with grades consistent with the performance of the students.
Despite the mishaps that has happened this 2020 on our education sector, I still would like to assure our students that they will get the qualifications they need to proceed to the next level.
Children of key workers
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, announced that despite school being closed for the time being, key workers in the UK still have the privilege to send their children to school if there is no one in their home that can look after them. This privilege only applies to both parents working as key workers in the country and for single parents with the same job description.
Key workers are those who play a crucial role in the industry despite the risks presented by the COVID-19 outbreak. It includes supermarket employees, health workers, pharmacy attendants, social workers, security officers, firefighters, logistics personnel, and teachers. As long as both parents belong to the following jobs, they can safely leave their children at designated schools in their area as they go on performing their jobs.
Attending school will ensure that the children of key workers remain in a safe and quarantined area while their parents are working. This will eliminate panic and unnecessary worrying for their children as they perform their respective jobs. Keeping the children in school is just a safety measure that they are kept safe and away from contamination of the virus, this doesn’t mean that they can take the school exams just like the other students not in school.
Featured image by The Star
