Educators reject PM’s proposal for “official” diploma without final exams

Representatives of school association on Monday again rejected Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s proposal to offer a so-called “official” high school diploma based not on end-of-study exams but on students’ cumulative grade point average.

The heads of the Association of Grammar School Directors and Union of School Associations told ČTK that their members believe Mr Babiš’s repeated suggestion to waive the exam due to the Covid-19 pandemic has introduced uncertainty among students.

Students are nearing the end of difficult semesters of distance learning due to the pandemic. The Ministry of Education is recommending when possible teachers prepare assessments of students rather than give traditional marks. But how best to assess students’ performance remains a subject of contention.