As of today (19 March 2020) the number of cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia has risen to 790 with 2 deaths. The UK has decided to suspend and cancel all GCSE and A-level exams in the coming May/June series, acknowledging that the virus may spread during the peak exam season when students and teachers alike are required to be in close proximity of each other. Cambridge Assessment International has announced that they will go on with their exams in the respective countries and are unaffected by the decision of the UK government.

I suggest that the exams in Malaysia should be cancelled too due to the following reasons:

1. During the exam season (May-June) is when the virus will be spreading at its peak. Students are especially vulnerable to the contagious Covid-19 as students are seated in masses numbers in confined halls. Not to mention, the staff and teachers who are at a rather old age are more susceptible to the virus too. The students may also end up bringing the virus back to their families where further damage could be done if they are unaware that they are carriers of the virus. We have already seen that 1 of the 2 deaths is from a man that was in healthy condition, and moderately young. This shows that anyone is vulnerable to the virus. Parents are worried that their children could be putting themselves at risk, being exposed to so many people at once. It is better safe that sorry. 

2. To ensure fairness to all students. If students in the UK do not have to sit for their exams and are awarded grades in a different method, this gives them the advantage over students who have to sit the exams in the current pandemic situation. Schools have been closed, classes have been suspended and online classes are even banned. Students in Malaysia are massively disadvantaged and may not be able to perform well in the upcoming exams. This will affect their application and admissions into universities worldwide. If the exams are cancelled, this will ensure fairness amongst all the students when they are applying to universities.

I suggest that exams should be postponed or cancelled in conjunction with the UK government as students are sitting for almost the same variances of papers, GCSEs and IGCSEs, and A-level and International A-Level alike. This will benefit most of the students in terms of fairness and health-wise too.