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Hundreds of students across the Bailiwick are waiting for information which could dictate their summer exams, after the UK announced that all of its schools are closing with a knock on effect on A-levels, GCSEs and other exams.
Currently, all schools across the Bailiwick are open with no plans to close them yet in place - although staff are working to prepare for what many see as an inevitability.
Students of all ages are expected to continue working in class as normal, unless their parents or carers have decided to keep them home because they are unwell themselves or they are classed as high risk or vulnerable to the current threat of corona virus.
Pictured: Deputy Heidi Soulsby says it's not yet time to close our schools as the corona virus out break here is still in the containment phase.
The majority of pupils are believed to be currently attending lessons as normal. They will be seeing some changes to their daily schedules though, with most schools cancelling assemblies, changing PE lessons to reduce contact and desks moved to encourage social distancing.
Schools in Jersey will be closed from tomorrow until at least after the planned Easter holidays, with schools across the UK doing the same.
Yesterday the UK's Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told MPs that schools in England would be closed from Friday until further notice for all pupils, except the children of key workers and the most vulnerable. It came after Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland announced similar measures on Wednesday.
The announcement immediately raised concern about exams, with students across Guernsey questioning what it would mean for them, as although schools here are open at the moment, the exams are mainly set in the UK.
The Committee for Education, Sport and Culture has said it will "provide clarity for students and parents in the Bailiwick as soon as further information is available."
In a statement released on Thursday lunchtime, ESC said:
"It is not yet clear how the UK Government plans to manage and coordinate this situation but it will undoubtedly have an impact upon the Bailiwick. The Committee acknowledges that it is possible that other international awarding bodies may be affected by the impact of Covid- 19 and is seeking further information which will also be shared as soon as it is available."
Pictured: Deputy Matt Fallaize.
Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and released the following in response to the UK decision:
"We welcome the certainty that the Secretary of State’s decision not to hold exams this summer provides in these challenging circumstances. We will now work urgently with the Department for Education to work through the detail of this decision and to provide more information as soon as possible."
Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said while he hopes they can give that necessary clarity to students and their parents as soon as possible, we must expect there to be some impact.
"We note the decision of the UK Government that exams for this academic year will not go ahead, as part of its decision to indefinitely close schools. The Committee intends to provide clarity for students and parents in the Bailiwick as soon as further information is available and accepts that it is inevitable that there will be an impact on summertime exams due to be held in the Bailiwick this year. This is because our students sit many of the same exams as their UK contemporaries. While this clarity is sought, our focus locally must remain on adhering to the advice from Public Health Services and managing the current situation in relation to coronavirus."
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