To be concerned about my students January exams...

[Shiningstar84]

I've been teaching my sixth formers a unit since May and they are due to sit the exam in January (non linear course)
with the news of Xmas bubbling (not confirmed but looking likely, I'm concerned that even though the exam will go ahead, many students may not even be able to come in to complete it. I'm concerned that the exam, which is just 3 weeks after Xmas day will be disrupted by students isolating etc. As a result of mixing households.
I'm not worried for myself, but just how rubbish it will be for my hard working students to not be able to sit the exam.They can take it in June, but I wouldn't have taught it for 6 months. I think the government (and often my workplace!) forget that plenty of students sit exams in January 🙄

I think YANBU to be concerned.

Could you point out to your students that they may want to not mix over Christmas to minimise chance of disruption prior to their exam?

I feel the same over DD's GCSEs. If the virus is still around I'm not going to want to take her to social stuff in the run up just in case...

Maybe it's me but at 17/18 I was definitely old enough to take responsibility for my choices. They need to understand that isolation =/= no exam and to be mindful of their socialising on whether they it would be devastating to wait until may and with no additional teaching

I'm definitely going to ask them to try to be sensible. Ultimately though if their family want to have other family over, then there's not much they can do except for keep their distance. Just feels all a bit crazy!

Can you reschedule the exam for pre-Christmas?

@CallistoSol it's an external exam with an exam board. So we have no control over it. Thousands of students across England will be sitting it.

@William728

Rather than answering willy nilly to posts you should ensure that they are current 🤣 this was last Christmas! And now it is a zombie thread!