Education: Exam photography prohibited, 20% conditional passing grade adopted
The Ministry of Education issued strict directives to all its staff in the educational field and education departments, stressing the prohibition of photographing exam questions or students’ answers or any part thereof by any means whatsoever, and limiting this to official reasons only, such as auditing and review processes, warning that violating these instructions will subject the perpetrator to legal accountability before the competent authorities.
Context of the procedures and the importance of academic integrity
These instructions come as part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to enhance the testing system and ensure its confidentiality and integrity, as tests are the true benchmark for measuring learning outcomes. These measures are of paramount importance in light of technological advancements and the ease of information dissemination, necessitating strict administrative controls to prevent leaks of questions or violations of students' privacy. The Ministry regularly updates testing guidelines to keep pace with changes, ensuring equal opportunities for all students and fairness in assessing academic achievement, which positively impacts the quality of educational outcomes locally.
Conditional percentage and grading mechanism
In line with the new regulations, the Ministry has set a passing grade of 20% of the final written exam score for each subject in both primary and intermediate levels, as well as in the end-of-term exam for secondary school. The Ministry clarified in its examination guide that the student's grade is the basis for grading, with 40 points allocated per term in primary and intermediate levels, and the same amount for each course in secondary school. The regulations stipulate that a student absent from the end-of-term exam will be marked "absent" in the system and will be considered to have failed the subject, requiring them to take the supplementary exams.
Correction and rigorous review controls
The ministry detailed the marking procedures, emphasizing that the subject teacher is primarily responsible for marking their students' papers and recording the grades in the electronic system after careful review. To ensure accuracy and prevent errors, the ministry mandated that markers and reviewers use only green pens during the final review process, prohibiting the use of correction fluid or erasure altogether. If a grade needs to be changed, the old grade must be lightly crossed out, and the new grade written numerically and in words, with the teacher's signature.
Ensuring students' rights and the accuracy of results
These detailed procedures, including the formation of audit and review committees, aim to safeguard students' rights and ensure that each student receives the grade they truly deserve. The process involves generating preliminary matching lists and meticulously reviewing the papers of supplementary students, regardless of their grades, to guarantee accuracy in data collection or recording. The process concludes with the school principal's approval of the results after verifying the completion of all data and name verification procedures. Official copies are then filed in the school's records as reference documents.
