The Ministry of National Education Introduces New Rules for Report Cards. According to the latest announcement from the Ministry of National Education, primary and middle school report cards will be made available electronically, and high schools will not receive printed report cards for the second term. A circular signed by Minister Ziya Selçuk regarding year-end procedures for the 2019–2020 academic year has been sent to all provinces. The circular states that the second term of the 2019–2020 academic year will be completed through remote learning due to the coronavirus outbreak, without face-to-face education. Procedures for this academic year will be carried out based on students’ first-term grades and their attendance records.
The report card regulation, which concerns millions of students, was clarified by the Ministry of National Education. Under the new guidance, primary and middle school report cards will be accessible online, and high schools will not issue printed report cards for the second term. Minister Selçuk signed and distributed the year-end procedures letter for the 2019–2020 academic year to provincial authorities. The letter addresses issues that caused uncertainty in high schools, such as grade promotion, responsibility exams, report cards, and matters involving students returning from abroad.
For students who returned from abroad during the pandemic and were able to obtain an equivalency certificate, the ministry has stated that — solely for the 2019–2020 academic year and on the basis of missing first- or second-term grades — they will be considered successful in all subjects. Students who are successful in all subjects, and those who have failed subjects but have a year-end achievement score of at least 50, will be promoted to the next grade directly. Students who cannot be promoted directly, including those in lower grades, will advance to the next grade as “responsible” students regardless of the number of failed subjects; no subject-by-subject separation or minimum threshold will be applied. Responsibility exams will be held by school administrations, with necessary precautions in place, between June 22 and June 30, 2020.
How Will the 2019–2020 Report Cards Be Handled?
How will the 2019–2020 report cards be handled? According to the letter signed by Minister Ziya Selçuk and sent to all provinces, vocational high schools will administer internship completion exams. Twelfth-grade students in vocational and technical secondary education who were required to complete 40 days of internship but could not do so will be excused for now; they will take the internship completion exam during the first responsibility exam period that is arranged.
The Ministry of National Education has announced that primary and middle school report cards will be accessible online for parents and students. For high schools, the first-term grade of the 2019–2020 academic year will be accepted as the year-end achievement score for all students. No additional printed report cards will be issued for the second term in high schools. However, awards and certificates — such as honors, merit, commendation, and certificates of outstanding achievement — along with diplomas, will still be prepared. To avoid crowding due to the coronavirus outbreak, school administrations will organize distribution in a staggered manner, taking into account student density, with distribution beginning on June 22.