De La Salle sixth form has opted to hold their examinations at home, rather than in-person as another sixth form has chosen to do.

Email correspondence seen by The Malta Independent confirms that the sixth form has chosen to have students do their exams at home rather than at school – the opposite of what fellow sixth form St. Aloysius College is doing.

The email – which was sent to second year students and their parents and guardians – notes that the school had everything settled for the exams to take place at school, to the point that the exam papers themselves had already been printed.

The exams in question are the mock exams which take place prior to the Advanced and Intermediate Level exams needed for one to enter the University of Malta.

The school said that the issuing of mandatory standards for post-secondary educational institutions by health authorities had given them two options: either asking second year students to sit for their exams at school “thereby increasing the health risks for these students”, or allowing the students to take their exams at home “having faith in the maturity of our students to undertake this exercise in the spirit it is intended for – as a trial run for the actual exams.”

“Given the current circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic and the mandatory standards for post-secondary institutions issued by health authorities, we have preferred to go for the second option to ensure the health and safety of our students”, the school said.

The exams will be held as per the students’ already scheduled timetable, but will be held at home.

“We are certain that our second year students are mature enough to realise that the only scope of such examinations at this stage of their sixth form journey, a few weeks before the start of the actual Advanced and Intermediate MATSEC examinations is to service as a practice run for these exams”, the email reads.

“We are confident that our students will undertake the mock examinations under the examination conditions required even though they are taking place at home”, it continues.

The direction is the opposite of which another sixth form school went.

St. Aloysius College sixth form have opted to carry out their exams in-person, after this was approved by health authorities. 

They are carrying out their exams under a strict set of protocols also issued and rubber-stamped by the same health authorities.