LISTEN: November GCSE exams postponed for almost two weeks

by David Young, PA and Q Radio News

GSCE exams due to take place early next month have been postponed for almost two weeks.

Exams run by CCEA will now take place from 23rd of November. 

They were initially scheduled to to run from 11th-13th of the same month. 

Meanwhile, the exams due to take place in Spring will also take place a week later than planned. 

In a statement, CCEA said the decision was taken following the Education Minister's decision to close schools for an extended mid-term break. 

Pupils are due to sit fewer exams in many GCSEs in 2021 but CCEA has not yet provided final details of precise changes to individual subjects.

Meanwhile, almost 1,500 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in Northern Ireland’s schools since they reopened. 

Minister Weir said the majority of cases involved a single individual and he said only around 10 of the 1,000 schools in the region had experienced multiple cases.

Mr Weir outlined the impact of the virus on the general school population during Assembly question time.

He said the 1,491 cases between August 24 and October 13 included pupils and staff.

The minister said the figure represented a very small proportion of the total school population of 333,000 pupils and 19,000 staff.

He detailed the figures on the first day of a two-week school closure across the region.

The Halloween mid-term break has been extended by a further week as part of an intensified period of Covid-19 restrictions aimed at halting spiralling infection rates in Northern Ireland.

Education Minister Peter Weir addressing the NI assembly on Monday

“The proposal put through the executive was schools will reopen on the November 2 – everything within Covid is always under review,” Mr Weir told MLAs.

The minister said he anticipated disruption in individual schools going forward.

But he said it was vital to keep the disruption to a minimum.

“That’s why I believe it’s important that we do see that resumption of face-to-face teaching on November 2 and beyond to ensure that we get the best possible support to all our pupils,” he said.

Sinn Fein MLA Sean Lynch asked if the minister was preparing for the prospect of a further widespread closure of schools.

“I’m not planning for failure and on that basis I think it is important that we do keep schools open,” the minister replied.

Mr Weir added: “It is vital that our schools are kept open.”

Meanwhile, in a social media post, the First Minister Arlene Foster reiterated the Education Minister's message that school's will reopen after two weeks. 

"Just to be clear the schools will open on the 2nd November.

"As you know we would have preferred not to have had an extended break at Halloween but we are dealing with issues in a coalition and the Chief Medical Officer was clear that in order to get the reproductive number below one then schools and hospitality would need to close."