Education Minister Randy Horton claimed last night it was "unfair" to Bermudian students to make them sit crucial exams as early as 5.30 a.m. to prevent cheating.

Hundreds of students at CedarBridge Academy, the Berkeley Institute and Bermuda High School for Girls could be affected by an English exam board's decision to make those outside of the UK taking their tests do so at the same time as children in Britain.

Mr. Horton told The Royal Gazette that Ministry of Education officials were trying to negotiate later starting times for the Island's youngsters with the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) in England.

"I'm very, very concerned that students should be expected to do exams at 5.30 a.m.," he said. "That's of great concern to me, to expect the best out of young people at that time of day.

"Five thirty in the morning is not fair to our young people.

"What I am most interested in is in our young people having equal opportunity as others taking the exams."

AQA told this newspaper yesterday that the new procedures for GCSEs and A-levels were put in place to "maintain the integrity of our examinations and protect the interests of all candidates taking them".

Schools have been told the measure is considered necessary because of the possibility of students in the UK texting or emailing exam information overseas.

AQA spokeswoman Claire Ellis said centres outside Britain could ask the exam board for a different start time.

"AQA considers each case separately," she said. "Where the area is behind UK time it is necessary to have the candidates supervised from the UK start time. For a 9 a.m. exam that will equate to 5 a.m. (in Bermuda).

"Candidates can start the examination later if they have been supervised by their centre from 5 a.m. until the time they start the exam — i.e. they may need to arrange overnight supervision by centre staff."

The Berkeley Institute has 115 students sitting the exams and CedarBridge has 86. Subjects involved at the public schools are mathematics, French, English, business and Spanish GCSEs and Spanish A-level.

Scores of pupils at BHS taking English language, English literature, business studies and science are also affected, as revealed by this newspaper yesterday. They have been told to arrive at the private school at 5.30 a.m. to sit the exams at 6 a.m.

Mr. Horton's concerns were echoed by Myron Piper, chairman and founder of Bermuda Educational Parents' Association. "I think it is going to put Bermudians at a disadvantage and it's unfortunate that it is something everyone is aware of so late," he said.

"Hopefully there is something that can be done. I can't see our students actually being in a position to be alert at that time. Exams are stressful enough.

Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons said he understood that Saltus Grammar School had reached a compromise with another exam board, Edexcel, to have 8 a.m. start times.

"It's quite a burden, anyone having to take an exam at six in the morning," he said. "Some Bermudian children, through Edexcel and Saltus, can take the exam at 8 o'clock.

"That's an unlevel playing field locally and the Ministry should be pressed to sort out the difference, if that is indeed the case."

* Are you the parent of a child who will be affected by early morning exams? Call our newsdesk on 278-0137 or e-mail news@royalgazette.bm.