Examinations usually held in December in secondary schools in Belgium’s German-speaking Community have been scrapped this year, Community Education Minister Lydia Klinkenberg announced on Friday.
The minister said she took the decision in consultation with high-school principals due to the hybrid education to be given to pupils in the second and third grades (14 to 18-year-olds) from Monday 16 November to the winter holidays.
Given the current situation, every teaching day is important, the minister said. Additionally, no-one knows whether in-person education will be possible during the second half of the school year, so her ministry wishes to avoid any learning deficit.
There is no change for first- and second-year students (12 and 13-year-olds) since the December examinations had already been discontinued for their levels.
The decision only applies to schools run by the German-speaking Community, the heads of private schools are free to decide whether or not they will organise a winter exam session.
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