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Well, during today's webcast, the Deputy Chief Education Officer explained that promotion at the high school level is not automatic and that students have to demonstrate the necessary academic competence to advance. Here's how she explained why:

Dr. Neulin Villanueva - Deputy Chief Education Officer, MOE
"At the secondary level, it's completely different. The regulation says that at the end of the year, secondary schools shall determine, according to their academic policies and assessment practices, students who are to be promoted to next grade level, and in case of students who are in the final year of studies, those who have successfully completed the program of studies and are to be certified. So, in no way at the secondary level is there automatic promotion and graduation, and the Ministry of Education cannot impose that. However, what we have asked the managing authorities since they are the authority on this, is to look at their regulations. There are some requirements in the school rules, for example, for community service. Students could not have completed that requirement. There are some that require diploma exams, and those would have been scheduled during the time of school closure. So, of course, we're asking for some flexibility in that regard. And also, because students are in a disadvantaged position currently, they don't have the support of their teachers, face to face, and that extra support they would have been given, we're asking that schools also be flexible in terms of providing students with sufficient opportunities to give them a good chance of being promoted and graduating. So, that is our position."