School Council reiterates proposal to exclude digital tests from the final grade

The School Council (CE) reiterated that the 9th year digital tests should not count this academic year towards the students’ final grade, if they cannot be postponed, citing a lack of conditions to take them.

Speaking to Lusa, the president of the CE, António Castel-Branco, who today met for the first time with the new Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, said that the Schools Council maintains the proposal previously made to postpone the 9 digital exams. 1st year for the next academic year, since “equitable situations” that allow students to have equal access to computers or the internet in a classroom are not guaranteed.

Being “aware that it is very difficult”, just a few months before the end of the current academic year, to reverse a decision and ensure the tests in the previous paper format, the EC reiterated to the new minister the proposal that digital tests “not be counted for the students’ final grade so as not to harm them.

To the new holder of the Education portfolio, the Schools Council warned today about the lack of teachers, “a very pressing situation” in the regions of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, Alentejo and Algarve which is “reflected in the delay in learning”.

In the meeting with Fernando Alexandre, the CE, a consultative body of the Ministry of Education that represents public schools, reaffirmed the proposal to carry out sampling tests.

The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, today received associations representing school directors to discuss the holding of the 9th year final exams in digital format, which has been contested by teachers and managers.

This morning, the minister had already announced a decision for this week on whether school tests will be carried out on paper or in digital format, but highlighted that his predecessor “did not leave any plan B”.

Computer science teachers today began a strike in technical support roles for digital tests and support and maintenance of the equipment that will be used, which they say is not within their competence.

The strike was called by the National Association of IT Teachers (Anpri) and the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof), which admit to extending it until the end of the school year.