"We make no apology for breaking the constant treadmill of exams and retakes throughout students' GCSE courses - school shouldn't be a dreary trudge from one test to the next.
Although some of the students say they are now getting B's and C's instead of the A's they were used to (and a few have left) many say they feel their classes are now driven by enthusiasm and not by constant drilling for Regents exams.
As I sat in a muggy Sevillan café, valiantly attempting to study for final exams, the constant chattering of voices and buzzing of electric fans weren't enough to muffle the uncontrollable sobs of the girl next to me.
Average student scores on these exams remained constant over the term; students' average scores were 87.1% on exam 1, 86.6% on exam 2, and 88.2% on exam 3 (Table 9).
We should also remember that the constant imperative to medicalise exam anxiety serves to trivialise the experience of those suffering from mental illness.
"It took me a total of 10 months, 1,040 emails, 1,000 text messages, countless sleepless nights, constant paranoia during A2 exam season, declining academic performance," wrote David Wei, one of the Eton 11, on Facebook.
David Wei, one of those present at the meeting, wrote on Facebook: "It took me a total of 10 months, 1,040 emails, 1,000 text messages, countless sleepless nights, constant paranoia during A2 exam season, declining academic performance … but here we are.
Among the obstacles to ensuring students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeeded were difficulties in recruiting staff for schools in the most challenging areas and constant changes to the exam system, he said.
I suppose it wouldn't surprise people if I were to say that I'd been driven abroad by the constant meddling of politicians, the exams fiasco, or Ofsted.
"I studied very hard for my mid-year exams despite the constant violence, cold weather and long power cuts – even kerosene lamps and heaters were idle during the examination period because of fuel shortages," says Rana. Yasmeen Nazar, a first-year student at the College of Law in Baghdad, believes that the restoration of security is the only solution.
