The new requirement could become another challenge for graduates: Failure to do so will prevent them from taking the exams

It will affect the weakest graduates

Ranking magazine was the first to share this news on its Facebook page and warned that it could be very damaging for underperforming graduates. Journalist Jonė Kučinskaitė commented on Delfi that four in Lithuanian schools have a minimum positive rating, and if graduates have a negative rating, they cannot take a school or state exam.

“It doesn’t matter if there is an exam in Lithuanian or in another subject. It is true that the Lithuanian language test is the most important because it is compulsory. All of this is relevant to weak graduates. If they have a negative score, then they cannot take the school and state maturity tests.

Therefore, it is important for twelfth graders that that grade is positive. Usually they were able to pay off those debts before the end of the school year and then take the tests, ”he said.

He also added that the amendment was adopted on March 24 and March 25. entered by force. This means that J. Kučinskaitė explained that the person in charge of the school, usually the substitute, must enroll in the KELTO system all students who have negative grades and who cannot take exams.

“This must be done before June 3 and June 7. the exams are already starting. Of course, everything would be fine if it were adopted earlier. For example, the last modification of this order was made in 2006 by the then Minister Romas Žakaitienė.

Covers various topics related to state maturity exams and credit tests in Lithuanian language and literature. As there are no credits this year, this part is not irrelevant. Those changes are varied, but a change due to negative grades is more relevant for weak graduates. If those corrections were made, for example, in September, October, or finally November, when graduates had to choose which exams to take, everything would be fine.

However, when those changes are made two months and a week before the maturity testing session, it is not very good. This observation is also supported by the fact that, for example, teachers and school principals write to us today and yesterday asking where to find that order. There is simply not good communication between the ministry and the schools. Therefore, if they do not know, they turn to journalists to ask where to look. We have to admit that due to certain circumstances there is a lack of internal communication in the schools themselves, ”said the journalist.

Little time left

According to J. Kučinskaitė, it is important to note that there is not much time left before exams. According to her, this year’s graduates are already at a disadvantage because they studied at a distance practically the whole year.

“Last year, as of March 16. For almost three months and this year, some schools have been studying remotely every other week since September, and they haven’t been to school since December. All in all, it takes a year of such training. I don’t know, if we talk about helping children with little learning, counseling and everything else, we are doing them even more we compress.

On the one hand, because of those bad grades, it can be said that those children are to blame, so don’t be angry, you had to study, and so on. In part, this is true, but on the other hand, there are certainly cases where children who have a negative grade and then somehow have a minimum positive grade written on them, not only get a minimum number of test grades , if not more. So maybe there was no “chemistry” between the teacher and the student, as the children say, they were “sitting”, so they left. “

In addition, the journalist continued, and due to laziness or lack of motivation, people experience all kinds of crises in their lives. In this situation, you see another problem.

“If we leave a man in twelve years in a gym because of his basket, then we have to give him a chance to try. Also help him keep up with those debts and get at least a positive minimum rating. It will turn out very ugly if we stay with that student and after 10th grade we do not warn him that he will not be stretched in the gym and we will not let him take tests in 12th grade.

We have to give him a chance and if it doesn’t happen, he will draw those conclusions himself, he will realize that he did something wrong. If you keep it at the basic level or higher, then something is wrong with the teacher who taught it. “

J. Kučinskaitė warned that the well-being of students due to the pandemic is already on the brink, so such a change may cause even more problems.

Supports this amendment

Dainius Korsakas, director of the Saulė Stock Exchange, told Delfi that he was aware of the recently adopted amendment to the order and had already informed him by email. journal about it for both teachers and graduates.

“I accepted it as a positive thing because it is still a kind of signal to the graduate that he has to constantly work all year long and not try his luck on exams. I have not spoken to the professors about this yet, but I have informed both them and the graduates via email. On the blog I sent everyone that amendment with a comment.

I think that not all graduates are happy, that is, those who study worse and have unsatisfactory grades probably are not. And for the teachers, I think they accept it positively. The previous order, which allowed anyone with negative grades to take the tests, was not gladly accepted by the teachers. “

According to him, a very large relaxation of graduates was observed and it was speculated that the responsibility would not increase after reaching the age of majority. When asked if he still noticed during his years of leadership that students who did not study on purpose can perform well during exams, he explained that there have been several cases.

“In fact, it was not the case that a student with very little education performed very well during an exam. I just passed the exam and that’s it. It is true that there are cases in which a well-educated senior passes almost all exams worse than the teachers themselves expect or expect of them. There are both cases.

We also noted the fact that girls who score higher tend to score slightly lower on their test. We also tried to discuss with teachers why this happens, in their opinion, girls are more thorough, diligent, accountable for all work on time, etc. But when you need to show complete knowledge of things, then for some reason they stumble. “

For kids who are more relaxed during the school year, the principal said, they can get higher grades on tests.

“Of course, don’t accuse me of sex discrimination, we just noticed it because after the exams we keep statistics and compare the annual evaluation of the student with the result of the exam. So maybe those who are more addicted during the exam can think more or use their life experience in some other way, ”explained D. Korsak.

He also said that he did not believe this was an attempt to improve student test scores, as he had to get positive grades in all subjects in the past to get a certificate of maturity.

“Perhaps only that period was longer when it was possible to do it not only before the examination session. Now we will have to pick it up and solve it first. “

The exemption only applied in 2020.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sports (ŠMSM) commented to the news portal that the requirement to have at least one satisfactory annual evaluation of the subject before the start of the main call for maturity exams was always the norm to be able to carry out maturity selected. exam.

“This provision was changed in 2019. In the fall, the exemption was limited to one year, 2020. This was because some maturity exams were taken before the end of the school year, meaning students did not yet have annual assessments. Normally, the main maturity exam session began in April and lasted until mid-June.

Thus, those who chose those exams that were carried out during their studies were not required to have a satisfactory annual grade. And for those whose chosen maturity exams were taken at the end of the educational process, it was necessary to have an annual grade, “Delfi said in a written comment.

Therefore, according to the ministry, for this reason it was decided to unify the conditions, to abolish the requirement of a satisfactory annual evaluation.

“It just came to our attention then. 2020 maturity exams were taken later than usual, after the end of the school year, in the second half of June, that is, in 2019. the change made has become obsolete.

This year, the maturity exams are scheduled to take place also after the end of the educational process, at the beginning of June. “

It is also observed that the practice of last year and planned this year due to the pandemic shows that it is possible to organize the entire call for the maturity examination at the end of the educational process, so it is unlikely that it will return to the above. practice.

“The requirement of having at least one satisfactory annual evaluation of the subject to be able to take the exam ensures continuity of learning and verification of its results. If a graduate has studied the subject systematically and is ready to pass the exam, their annual assessment should not be unsatisfactory: only 3 or less than 10. Due to the pandemic, graduates can already receive additional learning support, so that we encourage you to communicate with your teachers and actively use it. “

According to the ministry, graduates who will receive an unsatisfactory annual assessment of the subject during their studies, but will receive additional studies after receiving individual assistance, will have the opportunity even after the end of the educational process, starting on May 21. Until June 3. – agree with the subject teacher the individual solutions that would lead to better results and change the unsatisfactory annual grade for a higher one.