Hong Kong’s Education Bureau cancels TSA exam due to Covid-19

The Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA), which gathers information about the academic performance of Hong Kong’s primary and secondary school students, will be cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Education Bureau (EDB) announced on Monday.

The citywide learning assessment tests Primary Three, Primary Six and Secondary Three students’ learning performance in the core subjects: Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics. The controversial school assessment has been slammed for causing stress for students, as teachers drill their class to do well on the assessment.

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All components of the TSA, including its speaking and written assessments, will be suspended so schools can make the most out of the remaining time to conduct in-person lessons, the EDB said in a statement.

However, the EDB will continue to collaborate with the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) and Hong Kong Education City Limited (HKEdCity) to roll out the “Gainful Use of Territory-wide System Assessment 2021 Materials” arrangement, which allows schools to make use of TSA materials to complement teaching and learning.

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There will also be webinars for teachers to understand students’ learning situations during the pandemic and tips on how to follow up on their support needs. The EDB will also collect system-level data to learn about overall student performance.

The Education Bureau and the HKEAA will hold face-to-face or online briefing sessions in late April to brief schools on the arrangements and participation details.