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MORE than 400 music students have had their musical aspirations dashed after the cancellation of important examinations and uncertainty over further exams planned for May.
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) music theory exams, originally scheduled for February and postponed to March were finally cancelled due to the recent unrest in the kingdom.
A statement on the ABRSM website said: "Due to the ongoing political instability in Bahrain, we have taken the decision to cancel."
Students will now have to wait until June 17. A plea has also made to the board to reschedule instrumental and vocal exams, which are normally held only twice in a year in May and in November and require an external examiner to arrive from the UK.
The board's Bahrain representative, Captain Rod Taylor, said that he is in touch with the officials and is hoping to reschedule the May exams for a later date. ABRSM exams have been conducted in the kingdom for more than 30 years and Captain Taylor believes that this is the first time that such a situation has arisen.
He said: "Taking into consideration the current situation and the fact that many students have missed lessons because they are not here or due to the unavailability of their teachers, I have requested for a change of dates between the end of June and the beginning of July. However, a decision will be taken by the board only by the end of April.
"Examiners are professional musicians and they generally travel to conduct the exams in three or more countries in the region. It involves a lot of logistical planning and we also have to anticipate how many students will be here to take the exams at a later date. If the exams are cancelled altogether, the students have the option of taking the exam in November."
He assured students that the same syllabus would be applicable through the year and students moving out of the country could obtain a transferable voucher.
Students with ABRSM passes at Grades 6, 7 and 8 benefit from official recognition by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS is the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK.
Lydia Martin, director of Sar Music Centre, said she preferred a postponement rather than a total cancellation. She said: "Rod seems to think ABRSM exams will go ahead in June instead of May. If so, then this would be good. We have more than 70 students scheduled to take practical exams and a further 20 for theory."
Parent Priya Guha from Saar whose children Ishan, 15, and Ishika, 14, are scheduled to appear for Grade 5 exams hopes a solution can be found. She said: "I prefer a slight delay in the exams. Music lessons for my children, who learn from a private tutor in Muharraq, have been seriously disrupted since February."
However, some students taking their GCSE and A'level examinations at the same time may find the pressure too much for additional music examinations in June, one anxious parent said.
ABRSM is the world's leading provider of music exams and assessments. Their website boasts that over 630,000 candidates take these exams in more than 90 countries around the world.
