The Minister of Education, Cristina Uriarte, has presented the End-of-Course Plan for the CAV, which gives prominence to the autonomy of the educational centers, to the extent that each center decides what its fundamental content should be for the end of the course: “At each center, the corresponding teaching staff or teaching department will prioritize or adapt the learning objectives to the current teaching conditions of the curriculum, and will clearly indicate the new achievement indicators that will be taken into account in the final evaluation of this course. The management team and the reference supervisor will hold meetings in the first half of May, in which the evaluation process proposed by the center will be analysed, valued and legitimised.”

It has put on the table two evaluation options: on the one hand, to carry out a third specific evaluation to assess whether the objectives and competences have been achieved in the third quarter (each centre will decide how to do this, in person, through exams, performing work…). On the other hand, conducting an integrated final evaluation and not serving to increase the classes taught in person.

In any case, Uriarte has stressed that when classroom classes were suspended, two-thirds of the course had already been given and “teachers already have enough information to evaluate the evolution of students”; these first two evaluations will be the basis for the final qualification. “That the repetition of the students is not a consequence of the imbalance caused by the confinement”.

In the case of students who have not achieved the objectives foreseen in the classroom educational activity, “in the last quarter of the course will work to achieve these objectives”.

Repetition must be accepted by the Inspection

“If the teaching team considers that the most appropriate educational measure for a student who has not achieved the minimum objectives is the repetition of the course, it should make an individualized report of that student, indicating the reasons why this measure has been taken.” The Educational Inspectorate will ensure that repetition has nothing to do with confinement.

Reinforcement on holidays and September

Both at the end of this course and at the beginning of the next, Uriarte has planned reinforcements. “Special attention will be paid to those students who have not been able to train online so that they are not disadvantaged. In general, it is advisable to intensify or recover the summer holidays. September will have a clear revitalization character.”

Who has priority in the return to the centers?

The Basque Government has planned a number of scenarios related to the evolution of the pandemic. On this return, priority 4. The students of the 1st and 2nd of the ESO and Baccalaureate will have the option of returning to classroom classes this course, as announced by the Education Counselor. “In the case of 4th and 2nd Baccalaureate, the students get an official degree and in 1st Baccalaureate the students need a great training before going to 2nd Baccalaureate”.

In the case of Vocational Training, the students of the first courses will return to the classrooms. The 2nd-year-olds will return to business. If this is not feasible, as an exception, the counselor explained that they will be offered a new online and face-to-face mixed system.

Uriarte has not clarified what criteria would be taken into account for this return in terms of number of students, distance, etc. He says that the Department of Health's criteria for this matter will be followed.