Matriculation exam grades higher this summer amid coronavirus
Exam concessions were made out of a desire to ensure that students taking the exam were not affected by the coronavirus crisis.
By ELIAV BATITO/MAARIV ONLINEKeshet high school students take their mathematics matriculation examination (Bagrut), in Jerusalem on May 20, 2019(photo credit: NOAM REVKIN FENTON/FLASH90)
The average score of matriculation exams in Israel has risen the Education Ministry announced after the summer round of exams were processed on Monday.The announcement comes following actions taken by former education minister Shmuel Abuhav and ministry staff to make the exams and exam conditions easier at the beginning of May following the outbreak of the coronavirus in Israel. The concessions were made out of a desire to ensure that students taking the exam were not affected by the coronavirus crisis, however in practice the concessions led to a rise in grades beyond the national annual average.The issue was recently brought to the attention of the current director-general of the Education Ministry, IDF Col. Amit Edri along with a series of proposals to address the issue.Edri stated that no change would be made in the system to lower the current scores, and they would remain as they are. In addition, he stated that the general public would be updated transparently regarding the process of the scores.Edri examined all the alternatives and made his decision based on two essential and important principles, the first: maintaining the principle of fairness and trust in the student body who studied hard for the exam to reach success. Changing the grade retrospectively and lowering it may damage the students' confidence both now and in the future.The second principal is maintaining full transparency with the Israeli public and providing a full and detailed report regarding exam scores. Upon completion of the processing of all grades - including the winter exams - the ministry will publish the data in a full, accurate and transparent report to the public during the summer of 2021. The Education Ministry recently held a series of discussions on how to normalize the grades, but no official solution has yet been announced.
