The students who completed their secondary education this year, met the end of the school year in their homes. Due to the pandemic, the Education Ministry decided to cancel the state graduation exam. Minister Ademi said that this decision was meant to eliminate the stress among secondary school students during these extraordinary times. The students will receive valid diplomas for finishied secondary education which will enable them to to enroll at some of the universities in North Macedonia.
In the conversations with some of the high school graduates, Meta.mk heard differing opinions on the cancellation of the state graduation exam. Most of the high school graduates were happy with the decision. They state that this period is stressful for everyone and that the state graduation exam isn’t necessary, since they were given their final grades by their professors.
“I totaly support the cancelation of the state graduation exam. since it causes an additional stress on the students, but also on the parents and the professors. We are the ones that went to school for nine months and are trying to achieve the desired success. I don’t know how someone will evaluate us through one test containing several questions. Everybody will learn ahead the answers to those questions. If you ask me, the professors are the ones that truly know how much the student can achieve” said Aleksandra Micova, a high school graduate from “Gosho Vikentiev” School in Kochani.
Bojana Vitanova is also a high school graduate from the Jane Sandanski Secondary School in Strumica. The cancellation of the graduation exam built a revolt in herself. She considers the graduation exam to be a test that helps validate the knowledge of the students and it shouldn’t be seen as an additional obligation.
Vitanova doesn’t agree that taking the graduation exam is stressful. according to her, a bigger problem would be the unknown university entrance exams enrollment exams.
As for the countries in the region, the state graduation exam will be taken in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia. Apart from high school students, the graduation exam will be taken by eight grade pupils despite the pandemic.
