Gibraltar Chronicle Logo
Local News

GCSE and A Level students to collect results electronically

Pic: Johnny Bugeja

GCSE and A Level results will be delivered electronically this year in a bid to avoid congregations outside the Bayside and Westside School complex, the Director of Education told the Chronicle.
The schools were set to hand out results in person as in previous years but following a meeting yesterday afternoon, school officials decided against this.
Instead GCSE and A Level students will all receive their grades at the same time via email at 9am on their respective results days.
This will mark the first time results will been delivered online, with AS and A Level results day taking place next week, on Thursday, August 13.
The GCSE students will receive their results the following week on Thursday, August 20.
This academic year has been marred by Covid-19, with classes delivered online as from last March and students unable to sit exams.
Typically a scene of cheers and tears, results day will be at home, with students heavily urged by education officials to keep congregations at a minimum.
The Minister for Education, Gilbert Licudi, and the Director of Education, Jacqueline Mason, have urged students to be responsible and are discouraging students from celebrating in large groups.
“Our advice to the students is that they have to be very responsible and mature, this year in particular, there is a restriction on gatherings up to 20 [people], anything over than 20 is not allowed,” Mr Licudi said.
“Students are not allowed to gather in groups of greater than 20 and we hope and expect that students will use their maturity and common sense to make sure they comply with those requirements and do not have those gatherings.”
“Traditionally, students do get together and have parties, our advice this year is to avoid those parties and to avoid gatherings, quite simply because you are not allowed to have gatherings of over 20.”
Instead of sitting exams, students have been awarded central assessment grades based of their work.
These grades have been regulated by the exam boards in the UK, but students who are displeased with their results can sit the exams in the autumn during October and November.
In previous years resitting an exam could lead to a student receiving a lower grade as the last grade is the one that counts.
This year students will keep whichever grade is the highest.
“Anybody who wants to appeal their grades does so by sitting the exam either in October or November depending on whether it is GCSE or A Level,” the Minister for Education, Gilbert Licudi said.
“One important distinguishing feature of the appeals process this year is whereas normally if you appeal you are stuck with the grade you get on the appeal. Here if you do the exam whichever is the highest grade, whether it’s the grade you were assessed at by the centre and you were actually awarded by the exam boards or grade that you obtain on the sitting of the exam in the autumn series.”
“The higher of the grades is the one you will keep which is an advantage to the students.”
Many students are set to go to university this year, despite Covid-19 with Ms Mason and Mr Licudi confirming that demand has not dwindled.
“It is interesting that this year we haven’t seen any change in practice or demand because of the Covid situation,” Mr Licudi said.
Mr Licudi added that they have not seen a situation where students are opting for gap years due to Covid-19 and many students are still keen to return to the UK.
The Department of Education will be posting advice for university students about travelling to the UK and the university experience under the current circumstances.
“Clearly they have to comply with whatever guidelines are given by the institution,” Mr Licudi said.
He added, students should be mindful of the regulations imposed by their university and the area.
Ms Mason added that UK universities are set to open this September in “some shape or form” and in some cases students will have to wear masks when attending lectures.
“At this moment in time we have not seen a drop in the number of students or students saying ‘no I will not be going, I will take a gap year’.”
“Post results the situation might be different.”

Students are advised to check their online learning platform for more information on results day.

Most Read

Local News

DPC clears two major developments

Download The App On The iOS Store