Rules for ‘virus-safe’ HSC exams revealed

Schools across NSW will be required to adhere to strict rules to ensure that 75,000 students can safely sit exam rules without risking fresh outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Students sitting HSC exams will be screened for illness and quarantined from those in other year levels under new coronavirus protocols for schools unveiled on Wednesday.

Schools across NSW have been issued with updated health advice ahead of the start of written exams on October 20, which also recommends they ramp up their cleaning regimens, hire extra exam staff and prearrange an alternative exam venue in the event they are forced to close because of a confirmed COVID-19 case.

No more than 75 students will be permitted in each exam room, to enable social distancing.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the state’s 75,000 HSC students could be reassured that everything was being done to make sure they could sit their exams without disruption.

“HSC trials were held without major incident and we are now working with schools to implement guidelines and procedures that reduce the risk of a COVID-19 disruption for our HSC students,” Ms Mitchell said.

“We are prioritising health advice as we support schools in planning for and operating the HSC exams. The safety of students and staff remains a priority.

The guidelines, developed in consultation with NSW Health, have been sent to principals by the NSW Education Standards Authority, which is responsible for the HSC.

In their planning, schools have been asked to develop exam-day protocols including screening that would require attendees to confirm they had not been asked by health officials to self-isolate and do not have flu-like symptoms before they can enter an exam room.

Schools should also arrange for designated areas of the school used for the HSC exams to be thoroughly cleaned between each exam session and limit interaction between HSC students and the rest of the school.

NESA chief executive Paul Martin said he recognised preparing for the HSC exams during the pandemic was challenging. “The aim of these guidelines is to provide as much clarity to schools and reassurance to students as possible, in line with health advice as we approach exams,” he said.

The protocols are in stark contrast to Victoria, which is yet to provide guidance on how schools should handle VCE and VCAL exams, including the General Achievement Test on October 7.

The state has, however, extended remote learning into the first week of term four to provide VCE and VCAL students with exclusive access to campuses for the critical assessment.

Both states, however, have revealed special provisions for students impacted by the pandemic.

HSC students who miss exams because of testing positive for COVID-19 or being required to self-isolate can submit a COVID-19 illness/misadventure application for a moderated assessment mark.

In Victoria, where the second wave of the virus has kept students at home for longer, will be individually assessed for adverse impacts of coronavirus, which will be reflected in their ATAR ranking.

Factors to be taken into account include whether a student had contracted the COVID-19 virus, whether immediate family members had been affected by the virus, prolonged or multiple school closures and significant gaps in continuity of learning, ongoing issues with remote learning, additional family responsibilities, family financial hardship and mental health challenges.