About 653,000 students will sit their final Thanaweyya Amma exams this year, supervised by 168,000 invigilators, according to Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawky. During a cabinet press conference, Shawky said his ministry is preparing to provide students and supervisors with face masks and sterilisation equipment, to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This will come in addition to students and invigilators undergoing temperature checks before every exam. The Ministry of Education and Technical Education will also ensure the classroom venues where exams are to occur are sterilised and disinfected before every exam. In case a student is confirmed as having the coronavirus, they will be transferred to hospital by ambulance, Shawky added. The student will be able to sit the exam during the second stage exam period, with their marks unaffected by the delayed sitting. The ministry will also limit the number of students allowed in every classroom during the exam to a maximum of 14, to preserve social distancing measures. Shawky added that the final examination schedule will be announced within the next 48 hours. The final Thanaweyya Amma and technical diploma exams will start on 21 June, with exams set to start at 10 am. Students will, however, be obliged to arrive at the exam venues by 9 am, so the necessary precautions can be undertaken. Shawky confirmed that students can postpone their final exams until next year. Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar announced that university finals for those students in the final year of their degree courses will start on 1 July. Abdel Ghaffar added that about 400,000 students nationwide will attend final exams.
