[sagher]

Hello there,
I'm opening this poll, Obviously all schools colleges are closed and classes are being conducted online. In Pakistan, I'm currently in college. We have intermediate exams in may exams these are finals exams,
I would like to know whats the situation of the exams in other countries.

In Pakistan there are no Education system. it's real suitable name is Education mafia. a business only for money. not to provide quality education. even now a days if you have enough money to join a good university. the standards are getting worse. Online classing system is such a drama to keep continuing your fee system. even many departments never pay there teachers what they get from you in the shape of this drama. only 5% students are still serious with there education and worried about it. mostly students are happy to get ride from there levels without examinations.

[deanhills]

No exams for now in South Africa - hopefully at end of the year.  Schools have just restarted on last Monday but only certain grades.  There has been a lockdown since end of March.  Possibly every one will return in July, however for Colleges maybe much later.  Things are very poorly managed on a trial bases, as 100 schools had to close after restarting last Monday due to teachers and some pupils getting Covid-19.

Education infrastructure, and school resources like pit latrines and lack of water already were in very poor shape before Covid-19, and Covid-19 seems to have emphasized it now.  During the lockdown some of the schools have been looted and burnt down.  So I'd say the education system is limping.  Some of the schools with more resources are coping OK, even during lockdown they were communicating and doing lessons.  Some of the teachers prepared hard copy lectures during the lockdown, others did it with Skype where children had laptops or were able to get on the Internet.

Nonetheless South Africa is still fixed on students in their last school year to write exams at the end of the year.  Let's see how that goes.

[Khadeer143]

In my point of view its fine to close schools ,colleges and all other education platforms life is more important then education ,in India recently my state government passed all 10th class standard students without exams ,and there are online classes also going on but its true that covid 19 impacting on studies

[Sn1F3rt]

Well as far as we are concerned, no lockdown could affect our education. There's been a lockdown ever since the third week of March, but studies are continuing as they should.

Our teachers first started teaching on Zoom, and then on Microsoft Teams. Our syllabus is running as it should've. This is both good and bad. Good because of course who would like his education to be stopped? But the other component is quite strong too. I do not have any free time in a day. Either it's school or coaching classes, or it's the huge volume of work that we are doing.

India is on the rise in COVID cases and I'm afraid, our schools and colleges are not gonna open up until the end of this year. Just yesterday our teacher said that it'd be a magic even if schools could open up in September. That's why, I am really anxious about what's more to come.

In my opinion,. COVID has affected the exams component much more than the studies one. All exams had to be cancelled forcefully, least for the time being. As Khadeer said, most of the State boards have cancelled their examinations for this year and promoted students to the next class. The national boards, ICSE and CBSE said that there exams would be conducted sometime in July, but I'd say no way, unless they have made their mind to get the population of India reduced.

I'm supposed to pass school next year, there are important competitive examinations like IIT/JEE, NEET and so many more which will decide my life to come. But ... I'm really tensed about what's gonna actually happen. Hope all this trouble is sorted out soon. This was my perspective as a student.

[deanhills]

Our teachers first started teaching on Zoom, and then on Microsoft Teams. Our syllabus is running as it should've. This is both good and bad. Good because of course who would like his education to be stopped? But the other component is quite strong too. I do not have any free time in a day. Either it's school or coaching classes, or it's the huge volume of work that we are doing.

Sadly in South Africa not all students have laptops, and Internet is not freely available and unavailable to the poor.  It's sad of course as where possibly the majority could have continued as you have in India at the Universities, they wouldn't allow it at the Universities - i.e. there has to be an equal playing field for all students.

The same type philosophy also governs the legislation that banned smoking.  Smoking is still banned.  Your very poor people share the cigarettes, or dig them out of dumps, and then of course stand great chance to get Covid. So there has been a ban on cigarettes since lockdown first started at end of March. Not that this ban makes a huge difference as we now have a very thriving black market of cigarettes selling at huge prices.

Alcohol was prohibited until 1st of June when shops were only allowed to sell from Monday to Thursday during normal shopping hours.  Unfortunately since the ban was lifted, there was a big surge in crime and stabbings and the Casualty section of Hospitals overloaded again with casualties taking away medical staff and beds for Covid-19 cases.  So some areas of the country, particularly in the hot spots where no beds are available any longer are thinking of re-introducing the alcohol ban.  Whether they will be successful is another matter though. South Africa is one of the countries in the world with the highest crime, particularly violent crime. Alcohol seems to be going hand in hand with aggravation of violence. Looks like Covid-19 proved that.

[sAmI]

Sadly in South Africa not all students have laptops, and Internet is not freely available and unavailable to the poor.  It's sad of course as where possibly the majority could have continued as you have in India at the Universities, they wouldn't allow it at the Universities - i.e. there has to be an equal playing field for all students.

The same type philosophy also governs the legislation that banned smoking.  Smoking is still banned.  Your very poor people share the cigarettes, or dig them out of dumps, and then of course stand great chance to get Covid. So there has been a ban on cigarettes since lockdown first started at end of March. Not that this ban makes a huge difference as we now have a very thriving black market of cigarettes selling at huge prices.

Alcohol was prohibited until 1st of June when shops were only allowed to sell from Monday to Thursday during normal shopping hours.  Unfortunately since the ban was lifted, there was a big surge in crime and stabbings and the Casualty section of Hospitals overloaded again with casualties taking away medical staff and beds for Covid-19 cases.  So some areas of the country, particularly in the hot spots where no beds are available any longer are thinking of re-introducing the alcohol ban.  Whether they will be successful is another matter though.  South Africa is one of the countries in the world with the highest crime, particularly violent crime.  Alcohol seems to be going hand in hand with aggravation of violence.  Looks like Covid-19 proved that.

@deanhills, Exactly the same thing is happening in Pakistan as well, Not every city here have really good internet, Some areas does not even have 3G or 4G Available for them. Alot of universities are just putting alot of pressure on students giving so much assignments and conducting online classes. My friend is in a ART University and in the field of Graphic Designing. In their first year, Almost everything is practical. The students have to create the drawings and others things and now they have said to make a portfolio of it that compile all the assignments, Alot of people does not even have stuff like pens registers and other things at all, I received a message from my college that your 2ND year classes are starting from yesterday, Every student have this question. We do not even have books right now to start neither we can buy. The main shop is in a really big area which is usually crowded no one will actually like to take any risks. 
My friend also lives in South Africa and he told me about the situation regarding the Alcohol Ban, He said that there was guy almost pointed a gun towards his head and asked him for money. I'm not sure whats actually gonna happen. The world will be a little different when this pandemic gonna end!

[Littlemaster]

As a school teacher, I can say it is a hard time for us too, but this is a chance for outdated teachers to update their technology. Really hard to manage the time as the work time has extended to 24 hours. We work in night too, taking video classes, editing and sharing to the classes. Then contacting parents whether students have any doubts or not. While we receive the works we assess it and mark the activity. Submit details as a report. Sometimes children have hard time understanding. Clearing doubts online takes more time than through direct mode. Anyways we need to live with it.

[humanpuff69]

yes . most school or probably all school are closed due to lockdown and the only way to study is using study from home . and it changed education a lot . now instead of going to a school the student do video call and finish the work from a website . probably google classroom or school own website that probably is based on moodle

[deanhills]

@deanhills, Exactly the same thing is happening in Pakistan as well, Not every city here have really good internet, Some areas does not even have 3G or 4G Available for them. Alot of universities are just putting alot of pressure on students giving so much assignments and conducting online classes. My friend is in a ART University and in the field of Graphic Designing. In their first year, Almost everything is practical. The students have to create the drawings and others things and now they have said to make a portfolio of it that compile all the assignments, Alot of people does not even have stuff like pens registers and other things at all, I received a message from my college that your 2ND year classes are starting from yesterday, Every student have this question. We do not even have books right now to start neither we can buy. The main shop is in a really big area which is usually crowded no one will actually like to take any risks. 
My friend also lives in South Africa and he told me about the situation regarding the Alcohol Ban, He said that there was guy almost pointed a gun towards his head and asked him for money. I'm not sure whats actually gonna happen. The world will be a little different when this pandemic gonna end!

The alcohol ban was like a tragic comedy @sAmI You would get police going to a store "officially" to "check" on the store's supplies, but actually are really looking for alcohol instead. And then raid the store (as penalty of finding the alcohol) and resell the alcohol on the black market. It happened to closed pubs as well. Police arriving with all the official gear - real police - then asking to check the supplies as though it is part of the job - even when the club was closed.

The poor management of Covid-19 made all of the shortcomings a million times worse. It also brought out the shortcomings and unfair distribution of education resources. And serious lack of management on the Government side. Such as allowing schools to be without protection during lockdown or during holidays so that they are vandalized, burnt down, and looted.

[sagher]

A Good news from my country. COVID-19 is going to die and death ratio is very less through last week. infected ratio which is rising more then 6000 people /day is now dramatically less now and just 2000+ recorded throughout last week. and patients recovery ratio is about double increase and the final report the recovery ratio is double from infected ration.
Govt announced to open education department from 15th of September. but decision is still relay on current situation. if the infected ratio is gradually decrease then all schools and universities should be open from 15th September 2020.

I pray from ALLAH almighty protect and clean world from this pandemic.