The Chamber of Deputies will probably not ask the government to enact the possibility of official school-leaving examinations for this year. Ex-minister of education Kateřina Valachová (ČSSD) rejected a proposal to deal with graduation examinations again. Valachová justified this by the fact that the Minister of Education Robert Plaga refused to comply with the wishes of the lower house to allow official school-leaving examinations by ministerial decree.
The original article requires translation.
The Chamber of Deputies will probably not ask the government to enact the possibility of official school-leaving examinations for this year. On Tuesday, ex-minister of education Kateřina Valachová (ČSSD) rejected a proposal to deal with graduation examinations again this week. Valachová justified this by the fact that the Minister of Education Robert Plaga (for YES) refused to comply with the wishes of the lower house to allow official school-leaving examinations by ministerial decree. According to Plaga, that would be illegal.
Valachová advocated that the Chamber of Deputies deal with the review of its resolution from the previous Friday this Thursday. At the instigation of YES and the CSSD, Plaga was to allow, by an internal regulation of the Ministry of Education, graduating high school students to obtain a school-leaving examination this year on the basis of the average of marks for previous studies.
According to Plaga, this would be an illegal procedure, the form of graduation is determined by law. Valachová stated that Plaga's attitude led to a "dissenting reaction of high school students." However, she admitted that only a law can allow an official school-leaving examination.
"At the moment, the Chamber of Deputies is unable to secure a change in the law with a parliamentary initiative, and the government has the only option in a legislative emergency," the deputy stated.
"The Minister and most of the Chamber of Deputies are clearly not bothered by the injustice committed at this year's graduates. What is even worse: by rejecting this point, colleagues have made it clear that they are not bothered by the Minister's utterly alibi and zero response to paragraph four of the resolution, namely the demand that he finally present at least some action plan to enable pupils and students with support. the state to acquire knowledge and skills in the coming months that distance learning simply could not give, ”she then wrote on her Facebook.
School associations are against official graduations
The Union of School Associations or the Association of Principals of Grammar Schools opposed the Chamber of Deputies' request for official school-leaving examinations. According to them, such a change in the school-leaving examination would mean inequality before the law for past and future graduates.
In addition, the principals point out that the graduates have already been acquainted with the modifications of this year's exams, and in some schools internal written exams have already taken place.
This year, due to the coronavirus epidemic, the date of state matura tests has been moved from the beginning of May to May 24-26. Similarly, the school-leaving examination period will not start on 16 May, as expected, but will be from 1 June to 23 July. The practical tests, which were to start on 1 April, can take place from 19 April to 27 August.
More correction dates
In addition, unsuccessful graduates will receive the opportunity to correct didactic tests in July and correct the practical exam by the end of the summer. The ministry increased the number of corrective attempts from the usual two to three. Graduates who will be ill or in quarantine during the regular test period will also be able to apply for the special exam date from 7 to 9 July.
Already in January, Plaga decided to cancel the styles for this year's graduations. In March, he announced that graduates would not have to pass oral graduation exams in Czech and a foreign language this year. They will be able to choose them voluntarily.
Graduates who work due to the covid-19 epidemic in hospitals or nursing homes will not even have to take state didactic tests. They will remain mandatory for others, only their time will be extended.
All of them will then be waiting for a school-leaving examination in two or three subjects, including a possible practical exam according to the field. The content of practical exams could be modified by schools.
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