Schools in the UAE await guidelines on how pupils will be assessed after GCSEs and A-level exams were cancelled. Getty
Schools in the UAE await guidelines on how pupils will be assessed after GCSEs and A-level exams were cancelled. Getty
Schools in the UAE await guidelines on how pupils will be assessed after GCSEs and A-level exams were cancelled. Getty
Schools in the UAE await guidelines on how pupils will be assessed after GCSEs and A-level exams were cancelled. Getty

Headteachers in UAE seek dialogue on alternatives as GCSEs and A-level exams are cancelled


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

School principals in the UAE are awaiting clarity and early guidelines from UK authorities after GCSEs and A-level exams were cancelled.

On Tuesday, UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove confirmed board exams have been cancelled for this year.

Heads of schools in the UAE said they hoped teachers would be consulted before creating plans to assess pupils to ensure final grades are fair.

GCSEs and A-levels examinations, sat at Year 11 and Year 13, respectively, were cancelled last academic year.

This year, principals at overseas British schools hope for a smoother experience for pupils as the announcement was made early.

Kelvin Hornsby of Gems Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi, says they have a portfolio of evidence for each pupil based on numerous mock results and other school work. Courtesy: Gems Cambridge International School
Kelvin Hornsby of Gems Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi, says they have a portfolio of evidence for each pupil based on numerous mock results and other school work. Courtesy: Gems Cambridge International School

"It is not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal. The education secretary will work with the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation to put in place alternative arrangements," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Monday.

Michael Wilson, principal at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, a UK curriculum school, said unlike last summer, authorities have time to make plans this year.

“We are urging proper dialogue, then decision-making. Not decision-making followed by dialogue,” he said.

Since September, his school has worked to prepare itself for a scenario where GCSEs and A-levels may be cancelled.

“I hope that this year, exam boards will take the time to reflect, collaborate with each other, the education authorities and schools before coming up with a plan,” he said.

He asked pupils to be patient and allow time for authorities, schools, and exam boards to speak to each other.

Michael Wilson says unlike last summer, this year authorities have time to make plans. Courtesy: Cranleigh Abu Dhabi
Michael Wilson says unlike last summer, this year authorities have time to make plans. Courtesy: Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Brendon Fulton, principal at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, urged authorities to provide all necessary information and clear guidelines as early as possible to help schools plan appropriately.

“There will also need to be a decision on whether IGCSEs, an equivalent qualification of the GCSEs, will take place or not, as the exam is not regulated by Ofqual,” he said, referring to England’s exam watchdog.

Mr Fulton said it was likely IGCSEs would follow the direction from the regulator.

There are five GCSE examination boards – AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, CCEA, and WJEC - and all are regulated by Ofqual.

IGCSEs are accredited by either Cambridge (Cambridge International Examinations) or Edexcel (Pearson Edexcel) exam boards.

“We are waiting for confirmation of the process, but we expect schools will once again provide assessment grades for pupils in the absence of formal exams,” said Mr Fulton.

In 2020, A-level marks were calculated by Ofqual through an algorithm to standardise final results after physical tests were cancelled.

Kelvin Hornsby, principal at Gems Cambridge International School, Abu Dhabi, said many international exam boards that offer the IGCSEs intend to go ahead with the summer exams.

“We are already working closely with the examination awarding bodies and have meetings scheduled this week and next,” said Mr Hornsby.

UAE pupils return to school on August 31, 2020 - in pictures

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ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes. 
Where to stay 
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5

Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km

The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry

Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm

Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

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1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE