Quarantined students can join matriculation exam on special arrangement

Students in quarantine will able to participate in the matriculation examinations on special arrangement.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Matriculation Examination Board have drawn up instructions on what kind of special arrangements can be made for students in quarantine to be able to participate in the matriculation examination, said THL in a press release on Tuesday.

Only asymptomatic students who have been placed in quarantine and who have been tested before the examination and received a negative test result are allowed to participate in the examination.

A prerequisite for the arrangement is that the school is able to arrange a separate area with supervisors for the students in quarantine to take the exams.

Students who have been placed in isolation due to a COVID-19 infection cannot participate in the exams, but must petition for an annulment of enrolment.

Special arrangements for students in quarantine require cooperation between the school and the unit responsible for infectious diseases in the municipality or hospital district.

The unit responsible for infectious diseases plays a significant role in the implementation of the arrangements. For this reason, the infection situation in a municipality or region may affect whether it is possible to make the special arrangements.

The schools also have no obligation to make special arrangements. Instead, the Matriculation Examination Board advises students in quarantine to first and foremost petition for an annulment of enrolment and to participate in the examinations in the next round. Students are asked to follow the instructions of their school.

“In order to avoid infections, it is recommended that all those enrolled in the matriculation examinations avoid social contacts and self-quarantine for two weeks before the start of the examinations,’ said THL Chief Physician Otto Helve.