UK exams to accommodate Ramadhan

**Insaanah** · 01-06-2016

Exams timetabled to accommodate Ramadan

By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter

This year's key GCSE and A-Level examinations have been timetabled to take into account the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, exam boards have said.

The Joint Council for Qualifications said many core exams had been set for before Ramadan starts on 6 June, but there had been no large scale changes.

It has consulted with Muslim groups on the issue since the month of fasting moved into the exam season in 2013.

Ramadan shifts slightly each year in relation to the Western calendar.

It follows the Muslim calendar and, this year, runs from 6 June to 5 July.

Pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will sit GCSEs and A-levels between May 16 and June 29 this year.

During Ramadan month, many Muslims fast during daylight hours, pray more and attend special services at mosques.

Some will not eat or drink water from dawn to dusk. And head teachers have voiced concerns this may have a negative effect on exam performance.

'Small window'

Michael Turner, director general of the JCQ, which represents exam boards, said it consulted on the provisional examination timetable every year, and considered comments from a wide range of stakeholders including religious groups, schools and colleges.

"The small window in which examinations can be taken, the large number of candidates taking examinations and the diverse range of subjects available to candidates, places significant limitations on the changes that can be accommodated for any one group," he said.

"However, JCQ meets the needs of various groups as far as possible.

"JCQ and the qualifications regulator Ofqual have previously met with Muslim groups to discuss the timetabling of examinations in light of Ramadan moving into the examination period.

"Where possible, large-entry GCSE and GCE subjects are timetabled prior to the commencement of Ramadan and consideration given to whether they are timetabled in the morning or afternoon."

This could mean that subjects taken by large numbers of students, such as GCSE English and maths, may be timetabled early in the exams season before Ramadan, or taken at a time of day to lessen the effect on students who might be fasting.

An Ofqual spokeswoman said the exam regulator had taken part in discussions about "the timing of Ramadan this year and we support the steps JCQ and the exam boards are taking with respect to the timetabling of exams this summer".

'Fasting'

Secondary head teachers in the Association of School and College Leaders are planning to meet Muslim groups to see how they can work together to meet the challenge of the clash.

ASCL deputy general secretary Malcolm Trobe said: "ASCL is meeting with Muslim faith leaders to discuss this year's Ramadan and plans to issue guidance for schools and colleges ahead of the summer exams season.

"The guidance will be non-prescriptive and will not advise families or students on how they should address the question of fasting during Ramadan, which we agree is a matter for the individuals concerned along with parents, carers and faith leaders.

"School and college leaders are very keen to work with communities to ensure young people are able to observe Ramadan without any detrimental impact on their examinations."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35244444

**strivingobserver98** · 01-08-2016

Have you heard this?

Maybe it's the media trying to spin something again..

Summer exams will not be fitted around Ramadan, confirm boards

This summer’s timetable for GCSE and A-levels is fixed and will not be changed to further accommodate Muslim pupils who may be fasting despite recent media reports, examination boards have said.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the major exam agencies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said there had been a “clear misunderstanding in some parts of the media” over the 2016 exam schedule after it announced that the timetable had taken Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, into account.

In a strongly worded statement the council said the timing of Ramadan had been considered in the same way as other events – such as the Queen’s diamond jubilee in June 2012 – and that the timetable was not open to change.

Some media outlets, including the Daily Mail, Sun and Daily Telegraph, suggested on Wednesday that the timetable was still in flux as a result of the discussions held between the exam boards, the exam regulator Ofqual and Islamic leaders, which appears to have raised concerns that crucial exam dates could change.

The reports followed comments by the children’s commissioner, Anne Longfield, that discussions were under way over “delaying the exam timetable”.

But the JCQ said: “There has been a clear misunderstanding in some parts of the media as to how the GCSE and A-level timetable is set and the impact religious events, such as Ramadan, Easter and Passover, have on it. It is important to note that the timetable for 2016 was drafted over a year ago, is published and won’t be changing.

“Each year the timetable is reviewed to ensure it meets the current needs of students, schools and colleges. This review includes a consultation and considers comments from a wide range of stakeholders including schools, colleges and religious groups. However, each year there are only minimal changes.

“In such a large, complex system where there is a large number of candidates taking examinations and a diverse range of subjects available, it is not always possible to meet each and every request. Exam boards will always aim to be as fair as possible to all. If a small change can be made for any one group that does not impact negatively on most students, it will, quite rightly, be considered – but these are made before the timetable is published.”

In 2016 the beginning of Ramadan falls on 7 June, in the latter part of the summer exam season.

After discussions, the exam boards decided to make minor adjustments to the timetable, which included moving some popular exams to before the start of Ramadan and holding others in the mornings, to avoid penalising pupils who were fasting during daylight hours.

http://www.theguardian.com/education...confirm-boards