Bahrain’s Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training (QAAET) has announced that all preparations to conduct the first national examinations successfully have been completed.

The examinations will be taken by approximately 21,000 students in 133 government schools in grades 3 and 6, beginning May 10.

Dr Jawaher Al Mudhahki, chief executive of QAAET, stated at a press conference at the Gulf Hotel that that the national examinations provide a scientific system for benchmarking student and school performance across the country.

The event was also attended by Shaikha Lulwa Khalifa Daij Al Khalifa, assistant undersecretary for curricula and educational supervision at the Ministry of Education, and Sylke Scheiner, executive director for QAAET National Examinations Unit.

Dr Al Mudhahki added that they provide valuable information and indicators which will be used to highlight strengths and areas for improvement in Bahrain’s formal education system, in line with the National Education Reform Project, headed by Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarrak Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Deputy Prime Minister.

The initiative is an integral part of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 blueprint, which states that all Bahrainis will have a first rate education system to enable them to fulfill their ambitions.

The new National Examinations Unit, an independent body, has developed the first national examinations in conjunction with Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).

CIE operates in more than 150 countries, and works in partnership with more than twenty ministries of education on national education and assessment programmes worldwide.

The results of the first national examinations will be announced on June 30.

Grade 9 students will take the national examinations in May 2010, with grade 12 following on later. – TradeArabia News Service