DAMMAM, 14 June 2003 — Examination fever has gripped students in the Eastern Province, and nervousness prevails among the students, who nonetheless claim that they are fully prepared.
Exams of grade I, II and III are already over and results have been announced. Exams for elementary, high school and secondary start today and, according to the Directorate of Education in the Eastern Province, all arrangements have been finalized.
The exams will continue for two weeks and results will be declared two weeks after that. The schools will then be closed for summer vacation. This year more than 128,000 high school students from the Kingdom and some 300 students from abroad will sit the exams.
A general complaint among the students was the delayed announcement of examination timetable, which they said gave them less time for revision.
However, the directorate has its reasons for delaying the announcement. It has been observed for years that once the exam schedule is announced, attendance starts decreasing.
“Many students stop going to school and start their preparations,” said an official of the directorate. “What they don’t realize is that in the process they lose so much,” he added.
The ministry as well as parents have for some time been concerned over the practice among students of using uppers to stay awake. Although such drugs are restricted, many students manage to procure them. “They are hazardous and have many negative side-effects,” said Dr. Fareeduddin, a physician at the Ministry of Health.
Students deny that they use any such substance and say that they normally depend on tea and coffee to stay awake. “I don’t know anyone who uses them. But yes, our tea and coffee intake is doubled or tripled during the examination period,” said Mishal, a high school student.
