Covid-19: BTecs and vocational tests cancelled in NI
By Jayne McCormack
Published
All BTec and other vocational exams scheduled this year in Northern Ireland have been cancelled.
The move will affect tens of thousands of students at schools and further education (FE) colleges.
The Economy Minister Diane Dodds, who is responsible for the qualifications, said it was neither sustainable nor fair to continue with exams.
But the Department for the Economy oversees BTecs and essential skills qualifications.
BTecs are vocational and technical qualifications equivalent to GCSEs and A-levels and are taken by many students in schools and colleges.
Some of those exams had been scheduled for February and March but will not go ahead and neither will assessments planned for May or June.
A SCHEME to put a cash card in the pocket of every adult in the north will not happen in the current financial year, a senior Department for the Economy official has said.
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January 11, 2021 5:58 pm
Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots today chaired the first meeting of the region’s new Green Growth Inter-Ministerial Group today (Monday, January 11).
Held virtually, the group included Economy Minister Diane Dodds, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey and Finance Minister Conor Murphy.
Working together towards shared goals
Speaking following the meeting, Minister Poots explained the session aimed to encourage a “spirit of partnership and collaboration” between ministers over environmental issues.
“The Executive’s overarching multi-decade Green Growth Strategy and Delivery Framework for Northern Ireland is aiming to transform our society towards net-zero by 2050, protect and enhance our environment and deliver sustainable economic growth,” he said.