More than 200,000 junior-high school students yesterday began taking their two-day academic assessment examinations, wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as they sat for a series of major exams that would determine which high school they get into.
The approximately 210,000 students taking the Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students exams were required to wear masks, have their temperatures checked and sanitize their hands before they could enter the test venues.
All students with a fever were separated from other students and sent to a backup testing center.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
As of noon, 12 students were found to have a fever and nine backup testing centers were opened, Ministry of Education official Hsu Li-chuan (許麗娟) said.
The exams were conducted with all windows and doors open, while parents were barred from accompanying their children inside the examination venues.
The aim was to limit the number of people at the testing locations to avoid overcrowding and the potential spread of the coronavirus, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said on Facebook.
Students who are in isolation at home or quarantine and are unable to take their exams over the weekend would be able to make up their tests on May 30 and 31.
Students yesterday took tests for social studies from 8:30am to 9:40am, mathematics from 10:30am to 11:50am, Chinese reading from 1:50pm to 3pm and Chinese composition from 3:50pm to 4:40pm.
The English listening test, which is usually held on the second day of the exam, has been canceled this year, because having open windows and doors might result in traffic or other noise that could affect how well the students perform.
The exams this year also include a slightly smaller range of topics, as the semester started two weeks later than usual to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS