The extension of quarterly exams to secondary schools creates new complications

Statements by AKEL MP Christos Christofides and Head of the Education Policy Bureau of AKEL

21 November 2022, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

As AKEL had unfortunately predicted, for many months now, the case of examinations every four-months is leading from this year onwards our schools and secondary schools, on an extremely dangerous path.

Huge issues have arisen which create a chaotic situation. A situation which has to do with placing various lessons on the same day, the overlap, the lack of knowledge on the part of school administrators and teachers themselves regarding what will actually occur with the policy of quarterly exams.

Once again there are strong reactions from parents, school pupils and teachers. At the same time, of course, in addition to this chaotic situation that has been created as a result of the government’s erroneous government, there are still huge issues with regards this failed policy, which are related to the strengthening of the private tuition lessons system, more and more stress and pressure being put on school pupils and teachers and, above all, the fact that the essence of learning and of the pedagogical procedure itself, is abandoned with this policy of continuous examinations, which only succeeds in reinforcing learning by heart, the memorisation of knowledge and techniques for examinations. These are not modern methods and policies, nor will they be of any use to our school pupils in the future.