THE General Achievement Test has been postponed as a result of the extended COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne.
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The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority on Wednesday confirmed the GAT, which was scheduled to take place on June 9, has been postponed to a yet to be fixed date.
All students studying a 3/4 Victorian Certificate of Education subject sit the GAT.
The three-hour assessment is used to create a derived examination score for anyone whose results are affected by illness, accident, or personal trauma.
Bendigo Senior Secondary College principal Dale Pearce said it was the sensible decision to postpone the test.
"My understanding is the key reason for it was because of the number of exposure sites," Mr Pearce said.
"We have a lot of students, in the metropolitan area in particular, who are in 14 days of isolation. They would not have been able to complete the GAT.
"It's a common sense decision. As long as the GAT goes ahead, presumably sometime in term three, then it will serve its purpose."
The announcement came as regional primary and secondary students prepare to go back to the classroom from Friday.
Mr Pearce said the resumption of face-to-face classes came at the perfect time for senior students.
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"One thing that this does is provide us with an additional day, now that the GAT is not going ahead," he said. "Fortunately for us, we can run our scheduled mid-year exams with some modifications.
"I expect this announcement will provide some clarity for staff, students, and families."
Catholic Education Office Sandhurst director Paul Desmond said it was "good news" for the region's schools.
"I think parents, teachers, and students in regional Victoria will be elated with this news," he said.
"Hopefully metropolitan Melbourne will be in a position to follow suit in the very near future. I'm very much aware that the principals are very pleased about this."
Mr Desmond said the week of remote learning in the regions had been a success.
"It's a been a positive experience this week," he said. "I'm not hearing any negativity from schools or from parents.
"It seems to me that everyone accepts that at the present time, this is our way of being.
"But everyone is also hopeful that the action that is being taken will result in the desired outcome of life going back to normal."
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