Joint Statement Released by Dong Zong and Jiao Zong

July 3, 2020

Weighing on Diverse Circumstances

Senior and Junior UEC to Be Held Separately

In conjunction with the further alleviation and confinement of coronavirus spread, graduating students had been given the greenlight to take the lead to resume studies in schools on 24 June whereas students from other levels would follow suit on 15 July. The Ministry of Education likewise had pronounced the SPM examination to be held from 6 January to 9 February 2021.

Corresponding to this pronouncement, an ad hoc meeting was held by Dong Jiao Zong MICSS Working Committee recently to finalise the examination dates for both the Senior and Junior UEC. The UEC Examination Committee indeed had taken all accounts into consideration repeatedly, including the impacts that might ensue raised in proposals submitted, lest there would be inappropriateness in addressing the critical challenge of this new norm. The considerations are, namely, the completion of curriculum, the safety of candidates and invigilators, the operation of the schools, the maximisation of learning time, the quality control and operation of the UEC and the needs of tertiary studies, let alone the assessment of the three-week class resumption duration between senior and junior students as well as the timetable of government public examination to minimise the harm of changing examination dates towards next academic year’s learning progress.

In the abovementioned ad hoc meeting, the following examination dates are scheduled:

• The Senior UEC Examination is scheduled to be held from 2 December to 8 December 2020; and
• The Junior UEC Examination is to be held from 28 December to 31 December 2020.

Dong Jiao Zong reiterates, the UEC is a standardised examination thus stability, reliability and commensurability is demanded. Moreover, the UEC has been held for the past 45 years, be it rain or shine thus far, its reliability and academic status must hence be safeguarded prudentially and professionally.