Extenuating circumstances for academic year 2019-2020
While we realize that this past year has been extraordinary for the world, we would like to highlight the additional stress that Lebanon has had to bear beyond the effects of Covid-19. These elements have not only affected our grading system, but also our students’ performance.
Challenges beyond COVID-19
This year our students have had to face many challenges other than those brought on by a global pandemic. Protests beginning as early as October caused road, business and school closures for weeks at a time. A collapse of the banking and financial system ensued, causing an inordinate strain on almost all families. Against this background, schools were shut at the end of February, for the remainder of the year, due to Covid-19.
Though the school worked to provide online schooling through MSTeams, an already dysfunctional electricity and telecoms sector in the country, plus the additional expense of internet and laptops, did not make for a smooth transition. While lectures continued more or less unimpeded, proper assessments were difficult to carry out as grades are based fully on tests rather than participation, attendance or homework.
A note on school transcripts