EDUN N25-02-004

03003

26 May 2003 

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 2003 GCE 'O' & 'A' LEVEL MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGE MID-YEAR EXAMINATIONS

1          For the coming GCE 'O' and 'A' Level Mother Tongue Language (MTL) mid-year examinations on 9 June 2003, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will implement several new arrangements as precautionary measures to ring-fence our schools against SARS. 

2          The arrangements aim to provide a safe environment for candidates and examination personnel, and to enable as many candidates as possible to take the examination without exposing candidates or examination personnel to any unnecessary risk of infection. All examination personnel will take a cautious approach towards screening candidates, balancing the need to safeguard the well-being of candidates with the understanding that all candidates who are fit to sit for the examinations could do so. 

3          The arrangements for the GCE 'O' and 'A' Level Mother Tongue Language (MTL) mid-year examinations on 9 June 2003 will be as follows: 

a.          All candidates and examination personnel will be subject to temperature checks on arrival at the examination centre. They are required to bring along their personal oral digital thermometers (ODTs) and to report to examination centres at least one hour before the paper starts to facilitate temperature checks. 

b.          Candidates who are well and have a temperature of 37.5°C and below will sit for the examination under normal conditions. 

c.          Candidates with a temperature of 38°C or more will not be allowed to take the examination. They will be sent home immediately and advised to see a doctor. They can take the examination at the next available sitting at the end of the year. 

d.          Candidates who fall into any of the following categories will take the examination in separate rooms, apart from the main candidature: 

i.          Candidates on Leave of Absence ; 

ii.          Candidates with a cough or a cold or other flu-like symptoms; 

iii.          Candidates who have a mild fever (37.6-37.9°C); or 

iv.          Candidates who are recovering from illnesses like chicken pox or mumps, but are certified fit to take the examinations by a doctor. 

These candidates will be required to wear surgical masks. Each category will be assigned separate examination rooms, where candidates will be seated at least 2 metres apart from each other. Examination personnel invigilating these candidates will also wear masks and gloves as a precautionary measure. 

e.          Candidates under HQO should comply with the HQO and will not be allowed to sit for the Mother Tongue Language (MTL) mid-year examinations. They can take the examination at the next available sitting at the end of the year. Candidates under the age of 18 who have been served HQO for living in the same household as an adult who has been served with HQO are advised to make changes to their living arrangements, so that they can apply to MOH for the HQO to be lifted. 

f.          In order to provide a safe environment for taking the examinations, the GCE 'O' and 'A' Level Mother Tongue Language mid-year examinations will be held only in schools. Hospitalised candidates will be allowed to take the examination in their schools if they are certified to be medically fit by the doctor and are able to travel to the examination venue. 

4          Given the dynamic SARS situation in Singapore, our schools must continue to be vigilant against any possible occurrence of SARS cases, while ensuring that national examinations proceed with as little disruption as possible. The above measures will be reviewed in August 2003 prior to the national examinations at the end of 2003.