It was on Friday that the Swedish National Agency for Education made the decision to cancel the digital national exams this spring, since serious errors were discovered. Initially, it was the spelling and grammar control that did not meet the requirements, and later it became clear that in some cases, student names had been accessible to teachers other than those who were supposed to have access to them.
The latter incident has been reported to the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY).
We are on the track of a solution, that's all I know. But I haven't got a definitive answer to that question, and I hope it will be clarified in the coming days, says Anna Westerholm, head of department at the Swedish National Agency for Education.
No signs of intrusion
Westerholm emphasizes that the personal data breach only affects four schools, which all contacted them. No additional affected cases have been found.
And it's only about information that was available to those who were logged in to the exam platform. It wasn't about anyone being able to access the information.
Have you been exposed to any form of digital intrusion?
No, we have no signs of that.
Meeting with minister
On Tuesday, a meeting was held where the Minister of Education Lotta Edholm (L) had summoned, among others, the Director-General of the Swedish National Agency for Education Joakim Malmström.
The Minister clearly wanted to be informed about the situation, so she got a full account of where we stand with the cancelled digital exams this spring. But above all, the meeting was about how we can now help the schools that are affected and need to handle the transition to paper-based exams and arrange what is needed, says Westerholm.
Minister of Education Lotta Edholm (L) says in a written comment to TT:
"In the short term, the Swedish National Agency for Education is now reviewing all possible measures that can facilitate the implementation of the national exams, and they will provide more information about this shortly. Based on the information the agency has provided, it was the right decision to shut down the exam platform."
The Swedish National Agency for Education has since 2017 worked on digitalizing the national exams in a nationwide exam platform. The work has so far cost nearly 700 million kronor.
A total of 18 sub-exams in the national exams were to be conducted digitally in the Swedish National Agency for Education's exam platform this spring term. But on Friday, the Swedish National Agency for Education decided to shut down the exam platform.
This affects students in grades 6 and 9 as well as high school students, who will have to take the exams in another way.
The affected exams were to be written on fixed dates between March 18 and May 14.
Source: The Swedish National Agency for Education
