As a grade 12 student this year, I was particularly baffled at the turn of events that saved us from the first round of diplomas in January. But it seems that nothing will stop the impending exam season for us during our second semester.
We have truly experienced extraneous circumstances that no one expected throughout our high school experience. If students are in grade 12 this year, then the most sense of a normal high school experience they’ve had is one semester in grade 10. Needless to say, every experience of ours has been clouded in the waves of covid and regulations, that while keeping us safe, have left us lacking in the department of experience.
The most significant experience that we have missed out on is fulfilling our educational requirements. With the back and forth of online and in person, from quarantining and reveling in an ever changed world, it isn’t a fact that can be helped. So why is it that the government is so determined on making us do the exams that we, unlike people who’ve done them in the past, are so unprepared for?
Well, ladies, gentlemen and all others, the answer is lost in my vigorous research for it. Though universities prefer having the diplomas as judge for applicants, it has been excused for students who’ve not completed them even after having two or else 2 and a half years to prepare for them. Us students who haven’t had to do a proper exam for the years leading up to it, are going to be at a great disadvantage. Even more so will be the students who will be completing grade 12 in the final year.
It is my belief, as is shared by fellow students, that we should have diplomas be optional for the graduates of 2022-2023. Though finals would make sense as a means to tie off the year, diplomas, worth even 10% of our grade jeopardize our capabilities to do well on the exams because we have been unprepared by lack of exam setting to experience from. People may assume that one normal semester would warrant exams, but to build up to diplomas, people typically have years of practice and experience which is critical in helping people study and learn how to prepare for an exam. Making them optional again this year would also be helpful to people who are taking all year courses and others who didn’t do the diploma first semester for some classes and others who will now have to.
