The Ministry of Education has established emergency centres for candidates writing the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) who may have tested positive for COVID-19 or are in quarantine.
The examinations will be written on Wednesday, August 4 and Thursday, August 5 in schools across the country. According to the Ministry, there are 33 new examination centres spread across the eleven education districts to eliminate the burden of students travelling long distances to write the NGSA.
The emergency centres are an addition to the examination centres.
“Parents of Grade Six students who have tested positive or are in quarantine but are still able and wish to write the examination are asked to contact the school’s Headteacher or indicate the same to the Department of Education in your region,” the Ministry noted.
Parents can also call 226 – 1237 to make the necessary arrangements.
On Wednesday Grade Six students will be writing English paper two and paper one in the morning and science paper one and two in the afternoon. While on Thursday, candidates will be writing mathematics papers one and two in the morning and social studies papers one and two in the afternoon.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations and guidelines have been established including the sanitizing and washing of hands before entering examination buildings, the wearing of the recommended face mask, always observing and maintaining social distancing and the cleaning and sanitizing of buildings and furniture.
Also, candidates are not required to wear their respective primary school uniforms. In the case where a child is not dressed in uniform, they must be dressed modestly and as best as possible with clothes that bear little or no writing, pictures and or diagrams that would give cause or contribute to any form of cheating.
Candidates will be allowed to leave the examination centres to have lunch but must return at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the next session. Candidates can take a bottle of water or suitable liquid to drink into the examination room once the bottle has no writing that can aid the student in the examination.
Further, to ensure candidates are prepared to write the examination, the Ministry of Education implemented several interventions. All Grade Six students in the public education system have received an NGSA Care Package containing face masks, pencils, erasers, sharpener, hand sanitizer and ruler.