The national exams were postponed to July and September and the physical education and artistic expressions tests were cancelled, announced today, February 12, the minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues.
In an interview with Rádio Renascença, the minister revealed today that due to the covid-19 pandemic, the exam dates were changed again this year and the first scouting tests, scheduled to take place between the 3rd and 11th of May, were cancelled.
The change in the school calendar, caused by the school break that occurred between the end of January and the beginning of March, forced the postponement of the national exams: the first phase moves from June to July and the second phase will be in September, instead of July.
«Since at the end of the year we will have another week of classes, the school calendar has moved forward and we will have a first phase of exams taking place in July, instead of June, and a second phase of exams taking place in September, instead of in July, as traditionally happens”, he said in an interview with Rádio Renascença.
As for the scouting tests, addressed to 2nd, 5th and 8th grade students, the first tests that would be held in early May by 2nd year students are now cancelled.
«In particular, the tests for measuring Physical Education and Artistic Expressions, these yes, it was decided not to take place at this time, also because they would take place in May – they are the ones that take place closer to where they are – and also for sharing elements and for all the issues that we know», he maintained.
As for the other disciplines, the minister says it is too early to make decisions, since "at this moment, we do not have elements that allow us, unequivocally, to say that we have to condition this or that option".
At this time, according to the calendar of external evaluations for the current school year, the tests foreseen for students from the 5th and 8th grades, who between May 17 and 26 must take the oral interaction tests of English.
At the beginning of June, the 5th graders take Portuguese and English tests while the 8th graders take tests in Mathematics and English.
Afterwards, they are the 2nd year students again to take tests: Mathematics and Study of the Environment (on 16 June) and Portuguese and Study of the Environment (on June 18).
The new school calendar will be published today in Diário da República.
Tiago Brandão Rodrigues also announced that another 15 thousand computers will arrive at Portuguese schools next week, after the Government promised to deliver 335 computers by the end of the second period.
The Minister of Education once again guaranteed that the first order, of 100 computers, was "fully distributed".
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