IB exam cancelled, May 2021
I am an IB examiner and teaching IBDP since 2009. Nothing is more beautiful and encouraging to me than teaching and pursuing IBDP philosophy. In fact, I am so fascinated with the IB that I moved to teach and left a well-paying corporate job. I love the way IB nurtures and professes knowledge and education however when IBDP may exams were cancelled, I was a bit upset, however, today I feel that the decision was correct.
The situation in my country, India, is not good. Coronavirus is spreading its chaos. There are no hospital beds and there is a huge gap between demand and supply of oxygen. The family members of the patients are out on road to ensure the supply of medical arrangements and therefore social distancing has been a challenging task. In such scenarios number of Covid, infections are increasing. It would have been a huge mistake if students were to take exams physically in school premises. The risk is not worth it. It was obviously a good decision for the greater good.
The IB exams cancelled May 2021 information is based on the official updates by the IBO on the conduct of the IB exam, May 2021 in India. With the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IBO has officially declared on the 14th of April, 2021 to adopt the non-examination route for the Diploma Programme, Career-related Programme, and the alternative task for the Middle Years Programme. The decision has been taken unanimously after a discussion between the IBO with the schools, education boards, and associations.
The action is a sheer reflection of the IBO’s motive of ensuring safety, security, health, and hygiene and the best academic interests of the students. It is, in fact, a move with rationale-talking to school leaders, teachers, and government regulators “regarding their local context, restrictions and the impact of COVID-19 on their students”.
The assessment model would bank upon the combined score of the coursework and the predicted grades by the teachers. Counting on the experience of unpredictable jumps in the pass rates, mean and overall scores by adopting the no-exam route for May 2020, it can be well assumed that a more advanced algorithm of standardization would be adopted this time to do away with all kinds of prior predicaments.
While some students feel that it is not equity while others cheer about the exam cancellation decision. This is so because there are countries where exams are not canceled and IB Schools continue to host IBDP May 2021 exams. One example is Singapore.
Many students, who we teach are happy because they are getting their fair chance of giving IB May 2021 exams, and their respective college admissions are dependent on that while some feel that it is bias approach. Let’s accept, teenagers being teenagers, many are wishing if they can also be relieved from the pressure of the exams because there was the sheer loss of learning hours, especially visiting schools was not possible and there was limited arrangement despite the best help of school teachers and IB online tutors.
IB is ethical in its approach and its exam decisions for May 2020 was initially criticized but later appreciated as many results were revised after appeal from the parents of the global community. Being an examiner, I can surely vouch that all attempts are being made to fairly mark the IBDP internal assessments so that there no loss of opportunity for the student that it deserves. Let us wait for the 7th July 2021, the date for IBDP exam results as we shall we our students passing the IBDP with flying colors.
I thank you the IB authorities and wish them and students all the luck.
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