A number of grade 10 students of a secondary school in Port Moresby could not sit for their examination because of COVID-19, according to the principal.
Some parents had withdrawn their students in fear of COVID-19 and we respect their decision.
These students were among the 25 excluded, who formally withdrew.
Georege Kenega told the Post Courier at Gordon Secondary School in Port Moresby
Mr Kenega said other reasons for students to withdraw were their low academic results and poor health conditions.
Some of the students; we asked them to withdraw due to low academic performances. They had more than 30 days absenteeism with no assessment records.
The school was concerned that their low performances would pull down the marks of the top performing students.
Also, to give and win-win situation to those low performing students, we asked them withdraw and they can be considered to repeat next year.
Kenega
He said this would allow the students to make a fresh start and improve on their poor academic performance.
In this way, they make a fresh start as well
Mr Kenega said before that the school called in respective parents to get their views, which they agreed.
We consulted their parents, which they appreciated our decision, and agreed to withdraw their children.
He said others withdrew on medical grounds,
We will allow them (students who withdrew) to repeat their grade 10 next year if there is space, otherwise we will give them open transfer and they can continue in another school they choose to attend. We currently have 282 grade 10 students doing their examinations.