Latest news with #exams
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gaza students sit exams for first time since war began in October 2023
Hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza are taking a crucial end-of-secondary-school exam organised by the besieged enclave's Ministry of Education in the hope of entering university studies. Earlier this month, the ministry announced Saturday's exam, which will be the first since Israel began its genocidal war on Gaza after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel in October 2023. The ministry confirmed that about 1,500 students are registered to take the exam, which will be conducted electronically using specialised software, adding that all necessary technical preparations have been carried out to ensure smooth administration. Some students are sitting the online exam at home, while others are taking it at venues depending on the region they are in, with safety considerations in mind, given the daily Israeli bombardment. Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, stressed that for Palestinian students, the exam is a critical gateway to higher education, scholarships and a future beyond the Israeli blockade. He said: 'Even in a warzone, with no classrooms, no books and barely any internet, Gaza's students are showing up, logging in and sitting their final exam, refusing to let war erase their future.'After the war started, the education of many students in Gaza has been put on hold, and the results of Saturday's exam will allow them to continue their studies at university. Many should have been at university by now, but remained at the high school level due to the war, as Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza's education system, along with the rest of the territory's civilian infrastructure. In response, Gaza's Education Ministry has launched an online platform – the first of its kind in Gaza – to enable high school seniors to take their final exam. 'Students have downloaded the app to take their exam, but they face many challenges,' Morad al-Agha, the exams director of the Central Gaza Governorate, told Al Jazeera. 'We have raised these concerns with the ministry to make sure they're resolved, so students can sit for their exams without disruption.' 'It is so difficult' Students log in from cafes, tents and shelters – wherever they can find a charged device and a working internet connection. Before the final exam, they have completed a mock test, designed not only to test their knowledge but also the system's stability. However, students tell Al Jazeera that going digital in Gaza has not been easy. 'We are taking exams online, but it is so difficult,' student Doha Khatab said. 'The internet is weak, many of us do not have devices and there is no safe space to take the test. We also lost our books in the bombardment.' To support them, a few teachers have reopened damaged classrooms and are offering in-person guidance. 'It is the first time the ministry has done this online and students are confused, so we're trying to guide them step by step,' teacher Enam Abu Slisa told Al Jazeera. The war in Gaza and the destruction of 95 percent of educational infrastructure have left more than 660,000 children out of school – nearly all of Gaza's school-aged population, according to the United Nations. Many former UN-run schools are now being used as shelters for displaced people and also face relentless, deadly Israeli attacks. A report to the UN Human Rights Council found that Israeli forces systematically destroyed education infrastructure in Gaza. The report described these actions as potential war crimes.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Gaza students sit exams for first time since war began in October 2023
Hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza are taking a crucial end-of-secondary-school exam organised by the besieged enclave's Ministry of Education in the hope of entering university studies. Earlier this month, the ministry announced Saturday's exam, which will be the first since Israel began its genocidal war on Gaza after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel in October 2023. The ministry confirmed that about 1,500 students are registered to take the exam, which will be conducted electronically using specialised software, adding that all necessary technical preparations have been carried out to ensure smooth administration. Some students are sitting the online exam at home, while others are taking it at venues depending on the region they are in, with safety considerations in mind, given the daily Israeli bombardment. Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, stressed that for Palestinian students, the exam is a critical gateway to higher education, scholarships and a future beyond the Israeli blockade. He said: 'Even in a warzone, with no classrooms, no books and barely any internet, Gaza's students are showing up, logging in and sitting their final exam, refusing to let war erase their future.' After the war started, the education of many students in Gaza has been put on hold, and the results of Saturday's exam will allow them to continue their studies at university. Many should have been at university by now, but remained at the high school level due to the war, as Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza's education system, along with the rest of the territory's civilian infrastructure. In response, Gaza's Education Ministry has launched an online platform – the first of its kind in Gaza – to enable high school seniors to take their final exam. 'Students have downloaded the app to take their exam, but they face many challenges,' Morad al-Agha, the exams director of the Central Gaza Governorate, told Al Jazeera. 'We have raised these concerns with the ministry to make sure they're resolved, so students can sit for their exams without disruption.' 'It is so difficult' Students log in from cafes, tents and shelters – wherever they can find a charged device and a working internet connection. Before the final exam, they have completed a mock test, designed not only to test their knowledge but also the system's stability. However, students tell Al Jazeera that going digital in Gaza has not been easy. 'We are taking exams online, but it is so difficult,' student Doha Khatab said. 'The internet is weak, many of us do not have devices and there is no safe space to take the test. We also lost our books in the bombardment.' To support them, a few teachers have reopened damaged classrooms and are offering in-person guidance. 'It is the first time the ministry has done this online and students are confused, so we're trying to guide them step by step,' teacher Enam Abu Slisa told Al Jazeera. The war in Gaza and the destruction of 95 percent of educational infrastructure have left more than 660,000 children out of school – nearly all of Gaza's school-aged population, according to the United Nations. Many former UN-run schools are now being used as shelters for displaced people and also face relentless, deadly Israeli attacks. A report to the UN Human Rights Council found that Israeli forces systematically destroyed education infrastructure in Gaza. The report described these actions as potential war crimes.
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Ofqual data ‘significantly overstated' number of pupils given extra exam time
The number of pupils in England reported to have been given extra time in their exams was significantly overstated, the exams regulator has admitted. Ofqual has announced it is withdrawing a decade's worth of statistics on pupils being granted special access arrangements in their GCSEs, AS and A-level exams after identifying issues with the data. It comes after data from the exams regulator last year suggested that nearly a third (30.1%) of pupils in England were given 25% extra time to complete their GCSEs, AS and A-level exams in 2023/24. The original figures, published by Ofqual in November, suggested that 41.8% of all candidates in independent centres – of which the majority are private schools – were granted 25% extra time in their exams in 2023/24, compared with 26.5% in non-selective state schools. But with just weeks to go until A-level results day, Ofqual has admitted that its published figures led to a 'significant overstatement' of access arrangements. A new analysis from Ofqual suggests that the proportion of students receiving access arrangements is 'much more closely aligned' with the proportion of students with special educational needs (Sen) in the school population. Department for Education (DfE) figures published last month suggest that nearly a fifth (19.5%) of pupils in England had Sen support or an education, health and care (EHC) plan in 2024/25. Ofqual said the 'problem' has been with the way the data was recorded and reported rather than how the access arrangements system has been used. For example it included arrangements for students who did not sit exams that year, and duplicate applications for the same student were not filtered out. Schools and colleges apply to exam boards for access arrangements to ensure that those students can sit their exams without being unfairly disadvantaged. Education leaders have suggested that more pupils are seeking support due to a rise in young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) and mental health issues since the pandemic. Requests for 25% extra time in exams is the most common exam board-approved access arrangement for pupils. Tom Bramley, executive director of research and analysis at Ofqual, said there are no issues with the access arrangements system itself and no student should be affected. In a blog on Thursday, he said: 'The approach to access arrangements remains unchanged.' Ofqual is withdrawing its official statistics on access arrangements for GCSE, AS and A-levels from 2014 to 2024. Revised statistics will be published later this year, covering the academic years from 2020/21 onwards, and they will be 'official statistics in development'. A detailed analysis of the data is expected to include updated figures on exam access arrangements for state and private school pupils. Mr Bramley said: 'In 2023 we started considering trends in access arrangements data and began research into how the arrangements were used and perceived in the education sector. 'As part of this work we requested more detailed data from exam boards, which we received at the end of 2024. 'We have always recognised that there are limitations to these figures. 'Our analysis has now revealed that they have led to a significant overstatement of approved access arrangements in place for the exam cohort in each year.' Earlier this year, Ofqual said it would 'take action' if it found that the higher proportion of private school pupils being given extra time in exams was due to unfairness. In February, Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, told Tes magazine that the regulator was doing 'extra work' as he was 'concerned' by the gap between private school and state school candidates being granted special exam access arrangements. It came after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called on the exams regulator last year to investigate why private school pupils were more likely to receive extra exam time than state school pupils. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), said: 'Ofqual is supposed to be the trusted source for exam statistics and as a result of these significant errors, independent schools have wrongly seen their results undermined and their integrity questioned. 'We are pleased that the investigation instigated by the DfE will lead to a correction of the record and we hope an apology will be forthcoming.' Tom Middlehurst, deputy director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'We're pleased that Ofqual has conducted a thorough review of this data to understand why there have been very significant increases in access arrangements. 'Clearly, having identified issues which indicate that this is in fact overstated in the statistics it is the right thing to do to withdraw and correct the data. 'This will lead to a more accurate understanding of trends around access arrangements. 'It is, however, frustrating that the data was apparently incorrect in the first place.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'While it is regrettable that problems have been identified with these statistics, Ofqual has done the right thing in withdrawing them and working to correct and republish them. 'Having correct datasets on access arrangements is vital to identify trends and changes across the system. 'School leaders have certainly seen more requests for access arrangements in recent years in the aftermath of Covid, increased reports of anxiety and mental ill-health, and significant rises in numbers of children with additional needs.' A DfE spokeswoman said: 'Ofqual has acted appropriately in firstly reviewing the data and then identifying and addressing the issue as quickly and transparently as possible. 'We welcome Ofqual's commitment to improving data quality and transparency, and we will continue to work closely with them to ensure high standards across the system.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Exam watchdog admits a decade of data on extra time was wrong
The exams regulator has admitted that a decade of data on the number of pupils receiving extra time was wrong. Ofqual said on Thursday it was pulling 10 years of data from 2014 onwards after revealing it had accidentally doubled the number of GCSE and A-level students receiving special arrangements, such as extra time or a laptop. Nearly a third of all pupils in England, or around 420,000, were recorded as getting extra time last year, with the figure quadrupling over the past decade. Private schools have also been accused of gaming the system in recent years after official data showed an eye-watering four in 10 pupils received extra time in 2024. But the watchdog has now admitted those statistics were 'significantly overstated' and that the true figure is almost half of that, including for private schools. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said private schools were owed 'an apology' for the botched data which it said had seen their 'integrity questioned' for years. Pupils are usually only eligible for extra support in exams if they have special educational needs and disabilities (Send) or a temporary injury such as a broken arm. Ofqual said on Thursday that the real level of students receiving extra time in exams was broadly equivalent to the proportion of Send pupils across the school population. This would mean around 19.5 per cent of pupils across all schools in England actually received extra time in their exams last year, not the 30 per cent recorded on official statistics. It also slashes the proportion of private school pupils thought to have received extra time by around half. In total, 41.8 per cent of fee-paying pupils were recorded as getting extra time in last summer's formal exams, but Department for Education (DfE) shows just 22.4 per cent currently receive Send support. Critics had jumped on the disparity between private school pupils receiving extra time and those in the state sector, with 26 per cent of children in non-selective state schools granted it last summer. Julie Robinson, the chief executive of the ISC, said: 'Ofqual is supposed to be the trusted source for exam statistics and as a result of these significant errors, independent schools have wrongly seen their results undermined and their integrity questioned. 'We are pleased that the investigation instigated by the DfE [Department for Education] will lead to a correction of the record and we hope an apology will be forthcoming.' Ofqual blamed the data blunder on duplicate applications for the same student that were accidentally included in official statistics. It also said the inflated data wrongly counted pupils who obtained special access arrangements but did not go on to sit their exams. The watchdog said in a statement: 'Ofqual's detailed analysis of underlying data from the boards has established that the published figures significantly overstated the number of students receiving access arrangements.' Tom Bramley, executive director of research and analysis at Ofqual, said: 'We are correcting the record as soon as possible. 'The access arrangements process has not changed, and students who received support did so appropriately. 'This issue is limited to our access arrangements dataset and our other statistics are not affected.' It will raise serious questions over the regulator's official data collection, as pupils await their GCSE and A-level results next month. The exams watchdog said it will publish revised statistics later this year covering special exam arrangements for 2021 onwards, but warned they 'won't be perfect'. It will leave a seven-year black hole in official data in England, since Ofqual will not replace the figures between 2014 and 2021. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, voiced concerns with Ofqual last year about the significant jump in pupils receiving extra time and urged them to examine 'the range of reasons that might be driving this and whether any policy response is required'. She told the Financial Times in November that it was 'a real concern to me there is such a big divide between the state and private system'. Torsten Bell, the Labour MP for Swansea West, also said on X last November: 'A far greater proportion of private than state school pupils get extra time in exams… which is even odder when you consider the wider context this is happening within: we know special educational needs are more prevalent in poorer areas.' Unions had also jumped at the rise in extra time figures to claim that exams are too stressful for pupils and called for a rethink of high-stakes assessments. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'While it is regrettable that problems have been identified with these statistics, Ofqual has done the right thing in withdrawing them and working to correct and republish them. 'School leaders have certainly seen more requests for access arrangements in recent years in the aftermath of Covid, increased reports of anxiety and mental ill-health, and significant rises in numbers of children with additional needs.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ofqual data ‘significantly overstated' number of pupils given extra exam time
The number of pupils in England reported to have been given extra time in their exams was significantly overstated, the exams regulator has admitted. Ofqual has announced it is withdrawing a decade's worth of statistics on pupils being granted special access arrangements in their GCSEs, AS and A-level exams after identifying issues with the data. It comes after data from the exams regulator last year suggested that nearly a third (30.1%) of pupils in England were given 25% extra time to complete their GCSEs, AS and A-level exams in 2023/24. The original figures, published by Ofqual in November, suggested that 41.8% of all candidates in independent centres – of which the majority are private schools – were granted 25% extra time in their exams in 2023/24, compared with 26.5% in non-selective state schools. But with just weeks to go until A-level results day, Ofqual has admitted that its published figures led to a 'significant overstatement' of access arrangements. A new analysis from Ofqual suggests that the proportion of students receiving access arrangements is 'much more closely aligned' with the proportion of students with special educational needs (Sen) in the school population. Figures released by the Department for Education (DfE) last month suggest that 14.2% of pupils in England had Sen support in 2024/25. Ofqual said the 'problem' has been with the way the data was recorded and reported rather than how the access arrangements system has been used. For example it included arrangements for students who did not sit exams that year, and duplicate applications for the same student were not filtered out. Schools and colleges apply to exam boards for access arrangements to ensure that those students can sit their exams without being unfairly disadvantaged. Education leaders have suggested that more pupils are seeking support due to a rise in young people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) and mental health issues since the pandemic. Requests for 25% extra time in exams is the most common exam board-approved access arrangement for pupils. Tom Bramley, executive director of research and analysis at Ofqual, said there are no issues with the access arrangements system itself and no student should be affected. In a blog on Thursday, he said: 'The approach to access arrangements remains unchanged.' Ofqual is withdrawing its official statistics on access arrangements for GCSE, AS and A-levels from 2014 to 2024. Revised statistics will be published later this year, covering the academic years from 2020/21 onwards, and they will be 'official statistics in development'. Mr Bramley said: 'In 2023 we started considering trends in access arrangements data and began research into how the arrangements were used and perceived in the education sector. 'As part of this work we requested more detailed data from exam boards, which we received at the end of 2024. 'We have always recognised that there are limitations to these figures. 'Our analysis has now revealed that they have led to a significant overstatement of approved access arrangements in place for the exam cohort in each year.' Earlier this year, Ofqual said it would 'take action' if it found that the higher proportion of private school pupils being given extra time in exams was due to unfairness. In February, Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, told Tes magazine that the regulator was doing 'extra work' as he was 'concerned' by the gap between private school and state school candidates being granted special exam access arrangements. It came after the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson asked the exams regulator to look into the access arrangement data. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), said: 'Ofqual is supposed to be the trusted source for exam statistics and as a result of these significant errors, independent schools have wrongly seen their results undermined and their integrity questioned. 'We are pleased that the investigation instigated by the DfE will lead to a correction of the record and we hope an apology will be forthcoming.' Tom Middlehurst, deputy director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'We're pleased that Ofqual has conducted a thorough review of this data to understand why there have been very significant increases in access arrangements. 'Clearly, having identified issues which indicate that this is in fact overstated in the statistics it is the right thing to do to withdraw and correct the data. 'This will lead to a more accurate understanding of trends around access arrangements. 'It is, however, frustrating that the data was apparently incorrect in the first place.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'While it is regrettable that problems have been identified with these statistics, Ofqual has done the right thing in withdrawing them and working to correct and republish them. 'Having correct datasets on access arrangements is vital to identify trends and changes across the system. 'School leaders have certainly seen more requests for access arrangements in recent years in the aftermath of Covid, increased reports of anxiety and mental ill-health, and significant rises in numbers of children with additional needs.'
