On Saturday, thousands of students at Tallinn and Harju County state high schools were unable to take their exams due to failures with the examination information system (EIS) system. On Tuesday, more errors occurred during a test exam which resulted in extra time being awarded.

Kersna told ERR if digitizing the exam process is the state's goal, the systems used must be completely reliable.

"Both in the case of the clear failure of the entrance exams, and in the case of the e-exam with its problems today, we have gained assurance that these systems are not currently ready for such tasks," she said.

Changes to the education system must not be made hastily, as they significantly impact the future, she said, adding the 4,000 young people who were let down over the weekend is a significant number.

"They had been preparing for this test throughout their basic school years, especially in their final year. They clearly went out to do their best, it was important to them and the state has to understand that, that when you're doing these things, putting young people in these situations, it is really important and there must be no room for error," the former minister said.

The Ministry of Education and Research's explanation that EIS glitches were due to overload is not sufficient for Kersna. It was known in advance how many young people would be taking the test, and the systems should have been prepared, she said.

The idea of having children's knowledge and skills assessed on a common basis is right and good in itself, the MP added.

However, PISA studies show that students are in very unequal positions regarding their experience with digital tools; in some schools, children are accustomed to them, while in others, it is not the norm at all.

"The least used digital learning tools are in languages and maths, which are the core subjects in which we take exams," she highlighted.

Therefore, mandating e-solutions, Kersna said, also implies that these must be equal in all schools, from Lüllemäe to Tallinna Reaalkool (Tallinn Secondary School of Science).

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!