Education and Science, Estonia, Legislation, Technology

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:59

Graduation exams shall not take place upon basic school and high schools in Estonia

BC, Tallinn, 05.05.2020.Print version
The Estonian government in an e-sitting adopted a regulation that imposes regulations for basic school and high school graduation and grading for the academic years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, reports LETA/BNS.

The regulation says that, in general, the usual mandatory graduation exams shall not take place upon basic school and high school graduation in the academic year 2019/2020. 


For students about to graduate from high school who wish to continue their studies at a university the possibility will be created to take state examinations in the Estonian language or Estonian as second language, as well as mathematics. In addition, it will be possible to take one of the internationally recognized examinations in a foreign language. 


State examinations must be taken if the student is planning to continue their studies in a specialty where that is required. For instance, at the University of Tartu and at Tallinn University the results of state examinations are a prerequisite for enrollment into most bachelor's and integrated study programs.


It is possible this year to graduate from high school also with school stage grades that are at least "satisfactory" or "pass."


For graduation from basic school in the academic year 2019/2020, year grades must be at least satisfactory or pass, whereas upon the decision of the teachers' council certificates can be assigned also to students whose last year grade in up to two subjects was "poor" or "weak."


In the next academic year, examinations in the Estonian language, mathematics, and one examination chosen by the student must be passed at least with a satisfactory result. Usual requirements will apply to the last year grades in individual subjects. 


For graduation from high school, school stage grades must be at least satisfactory and state examinations must be taken in the Estonian language or Estonian as second language, mathematics and a foreign language, along with the school exam. 


Under the regulation, in the academic year 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 a creative work in basic school and a study project or practical work in high school do not have to be done if in accordance with a decision of the teachers' council that is not possible due to the emergency situation. Nor does the school exam have to be taken in the current academic year if the school's teachers' council has so decided due to the emergency situation.  


As regards grading of students, the regulation says that in the academic year 2019/2020 the last year grades of the subjects of basic school and the school stage grades of high school are, in general, expressed as numerical grades. If during the emergency situation verbal assessments without any numerical equivalent were used, the assessments do not have to be translated into grades on a five-point scale and "pass" or "fail" can be used as the final year grades in basic school and school stage grades in high school, on the conditions and under the regulations set out in the school's curriculum. 






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