New rules for sitting VCE, VCAL a bid to block cheating
Despite stage four lockdown requiring most Victorian students to learn remotely, VCE and VCAL pupils will be able to return to school grounds to sit essential tests to crack down on cheating.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
VCE and VCAL students will be able to return to school grounds to sit essential tests under new rules to clamp down on cheating.
Students can undertake essential assessment on school campuses “where it is not reasonably practicable for those assessment to be undertaken’ from the student’s home”, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has advised principals and teachers. This is despite stage four lockdown requiring most students to now learn remotely.
The ruling comes as many schools have been grappling with how to ensure students sitting vital school-assessed components are not cheating, with some institutions requiring students to be filmed throughout any home-based exams.
The new rule is a bid to ensure all students on campus have a level playing field, particularly considering it will see all students sitting the test at the same time.
Despite the new guidelines, most schools are expected to keep students at home to minimise the movement of staff and pupils. Most are putting in place their own rules to ensure students sitting exams and tests at home cannot cheat. Some are making SACs – school assessed coursework — open book exams.
The VCAA guidelines also state that staff must be available to supervise the students onsite.
The provision only applies to essential assessment, which includes unit 3 and 4 VCE and VCAL school-based assessment tasks. For VET, it includes units that require access to facilities and equipment that cannot be undertaken at home such as food technology. It also covers VCE subjects like chemistry and art, which have a practical component.
The rules, which were only released on Monday, also say schools can delay essential assessments where students can’t access the school site because of closures during lockdown.
Students attending onsite will have to adhere to strict distancing protocols, wear masks and be subject to temperature checks.
Prior to the most recent lockdown were able to access school sites for practical classes and assessments.
VCE 2020: ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED