I think it’s safe to assume that no one on Earth enjoys getting a cotton swab shoved up their nostrils.
It’s an area of the human body that has never been explored before, and it really, really should have stayed that way, as it feels like someone is trying to scratch your brain.
But thanks to the emergence of the coronavirus, tests involving shoving swabs up your nostrils have become necessary and commonplace.
The complaints that arise from these tests usually concern the discomfort they cause, but for one unlucky Primary 6 student, it led to her missing her PSLE English paper.
P6 Pupil Missed PSLE English Paper As PCR Test Results Did Not Come in Time
It all started with a routine visit to the doctor.
Sally Ang had brought her daughter to the doctor yesterday (30 Sep) because she had a stomachache. But the doctor ended up testing her for COVID-19 as they’d found signs of respiratory infection.
In the end, the antigen rapid test she took was negative.
Good news, right? Except that those who are assessed to be ill are required by the education ministry to also get a negative result on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before they can take their exams.
While the PCR test returned a negative result, it did not come quick enough, meaning Ms Ang’s daughter had to miss her PSLE English paper.
“It’s a whole year of effort down the drain for her. I understand the need for Covid-19 protocols but this is very frustrating,” she told The Straits Times.
The whole thing was especially irksome given how careful the family was about reducing their daughter’s chances of contracting COVID-19 by making her cut down on her social interactions.
She was not a close contact of a COVID-19 patient, meaning she would have been able to take the English exam if she hadn’t gone to the doctor.
But there’s hardly any time to feel sorry for themselves, as the 12-year-old has to sit for a Maths paper today (1 Oct).
Ms Ang, however, thinks the rules might be a little too strict.
“…I don’t understand why the rules have to be so stringent. She tested negative for the ART so surely she could have done the exam in a separate room or something like that,” she told The Straits Times.
What’s the Protocol?
According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), students who have received COVID-19 quarantine orders (QO) or are on a leave of absence will be allowed to sit for their exams if they get a negative PCR test result at the start of the QO and a negative ART result within 24 hours before each exam.
And when they travel to school, they must do so by private transport or on foot, with no stops in between.
They should also inform the school, so a separate exam venue can be prepared.
This venue – used for quarantined candidates who tested negative – will be separate from the rest of the cohort.
For the safety of both pupils and invigilators, these students will start the exams 30 minutes after the scheduled start time for the rest of the cohort.
Last year, candidates under quarantine were not allowed to sit for national exams.
What Happens If You Miss an Exam?
As for unfortunate students like Ms Ang’s daughter who missed their papers, they will receive projected grades based on several factors including their past exam results and their cohort’s performance.
They must provide a valid reason for why they missed their exams, of course.
Understand more about the different COVID-19 tests here:
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