Pupils sitting A-levels and GCSEs in England next year could see their grades adjusted to account for the disruption caused by the pandemic.
UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he wanted exams to go ahead in 2022 but acknowledged that “adjustments and mitigations” were needed so pupils would not be at a disadvantage.
In summer 2021 exams were cancelled for the second year in a row, with grades instead assessed by teachers based on factors such as mock exams or class work.
After the UK announcement for 2021, teacher-assessed grades will be used to evaluate pupils at British schools in the UAE this year.
Oxford AQA and Cambridge International confirmed their IGCSE and A-level exams did not go ahead in the UAE this month.
For pupils in England, Mr Williamson said he would “far prefer to see children sitting exams” in 2022 but that changes were needed for that to happen.
"We very much hope and intend exams will go ahead in 2022," he told the House of Commons education select committee.
“I very much expect there to be adjustments and mitigations put in place because I think that those youngsters who currently are in Year 10 and Year 12 will have obviously suffered disruption as a result of the pandemic.”
He said it was not possible to "immediately switch back to the situation as it was back in 2019" and new ideas were needed to assess pupil performance.
Those included slimming down some of the subject areas to be tested and pushing back the dates of exams to increase lesson time.
Asked about the length of school days, Mr Williamson said he was “very concerned” that some secondary schools closed too early.
“On average, secondary schools are open for as long on average as primary schools,” he said. Beyond the age of 16, he said "the average amount of time spent" in school decreases.
“We’re the only country in Europe where you see that difference and I think that actually sort of presents some concerns and some worries.”
Changes to 2022 GCSE and A-level exams in England
Geography field trips for A-level and GCSE will be dropped from course requirements and related questions removed from exams as part of the regulator’s plans for 2022.
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation said students learning Spanish, French and German could be required to learn less vocabulary.
Design and technology pupils may only have to watch their teachers use machinery and tools instead of having to learn how they work themselves.
Meanwhile, dance performances will be shorter and there is no requirement that students perform as part of a group.
Drama students may only have to watch a streamed live performance rather than attend the theatre themselves.
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Manchester City 3
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Brighton & Hove Albion 1
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
