India witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases after the end of Lockdown 3.0 in the first week of May. The four states accounting for 67% of the total number of confirmed cases in India are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi. Lockdown was extended from May 18th to two more weeks till May 31st but offers some major relaxations, permitting most economic activities.

CURRENT STATUS

As per the updates provided by government regulatory bodies, COVID-19 cases are on a rise but showing signs of decline in doubling rate in many countries.

The COVID-19 situation is not the same in the subcontinent and in SE Asia region. The details of affected regions as on May 26th, 2020 are given below:

Bangladesh has extended the lockdown until May 30th 2020. The decision on Higher Secondary Exams will be taken soon but the dates could not be confirmed at this time.

Nepal extended its lockdown till June 2nd. Secondary Education Examination (SEE) may be held in the third week of June, but dates have not been announced yet.

Vietnam had ended the lockdown on April 22nd. Schools have resumed. High school examinations will be conducted in August. The level of difficulty will be reduced, as the quality of online classes held between February and April was deemed sub-standard. This year universities are recommended to give more weightage to their own entrance exams to qualify students for enrolment. Natural science and social science subjects will be scored separately and their scores will not be combined as suggested earlier. Local universities said they will still base their enrolment decision on high school exams and that they had full faith in the exam system.

Philippines ended nationwide lockdown on May 15th and is now transitioning into a more relaxed quarantine period in a majority of regions. Private schools may open in June but in-person classes may not begin before August. National Achievement Tests for grade 12 may be held on different dates in different regions.

Sri Lanka ended lockdown on May 11th but urged people to adhere to social distancing and health safety guidelines. Schools and universities will be opening soon with new guidelines. GCE A/L Exams will be held in August as scheduled.

Updates from India

Remaining CBSE and ICSE examinations will be conducted between July 2 and 12, the result is expected in August.  State board exams in Kerala (one of the states with low COVID-19 case counts) are already underway.

Schools in Green and Orange zones likely to reopen with regular classes for 8th and 12th standard students. Schools will follow the odd-even systems so that social distancing rules are followed.

Recommended guidelines of UGC to Universities for conducting of examinations and new academic calendar. The universities may adopt alternative and simplified modes and methods of examinations to complete the process. May require making some amendments in their academic calendar of 2020-21 due to delay on high school students.

Domestic flights in India resumed on May 25th after a gap of about two months. Airports will facilitate limited domestic flights in phases. As many as 63 destinations across India are being serviced at present and more to be added to the list. Government has capped both upper and lower limits on ticket prices for the next three months. Ministry of Aviation is hopeful of restarting international flights before August.

Announcements

Worldwide EduConnect is excited to announce its expansion into Africa, and the setting up of a local presence in Kenya. Stay tuned for regular updates from Africa!

Maple Initiatives

Maple Assist continues to support current and prospective students/applicants by addressing their concerns through webinars and Instagram live sessions. Our webinar campaigns aim to engage international students on topics most relevant to them. This week Maple Assist invited Boris Remes, award-winning education marketer, speaker and author of a best-selling book “Start Right: Success Habits for International Students,” to interact with prospective students and applicants. Remes shared his insights on how to build relationships with institutions during the pandemic, recommended communication strategies for students, and generally shared advice on how students and applicants can be productively engaged during this time of crisis.

In the same spirit of providing international students useful and curated content, Maple Assist will be hosting several online sessions with Canadian immigration consultants who can address student queries on the latest immigration policies, visas, and work permits. Our partner institutions are also invited to attend or co-host these webinars as a means of reaching out to prospective applicants and addressing their concerns over uncertainties surrounding intakes, travel restrictions, new regulations, and more.