Schools, parents want SSLC exams put off, education department in no mood to budge

The department of public instruction has decided to go ahead with the schedule for the SSLC examinations, despite pressure from parents, school managements, and other stakeholders to postpone them.

Sources from the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) told DH, “it has been decided in the meeting on Wednesday to go ahead with the schedule.”

“As of now, there will not be any change in the time-table,” said an official source. The examinations will be held between June 21 and July 5.

However, the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka has urged Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar to postpone the exams at least by a month or two.

In a letter to the minister, the association said, “The SSLC examination dates have not been deferred despite the devastation caused by the second wave of Covid-19. Revision activities and other means of preparation for SSLC has suffered as most schools are facing shortage of working teachers and due to an increase in Covid positive cases and the fear factor. The school managements, teachers, parents and students are in confusion. Postponement for another month will help buy time for micro-planning and a successful exam.”

D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the association, told DH, “The students will always have a choice of taking the public exam a little later in the interest of safety. They should be permitted to take supplementary exam, considering it as fresh attempt on account of the extraordinary situation.”

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Even the parents have urged the government to postpone or even cancel the exams.

“Children are under tremendous pressure as other boards have cancelled the exams. We request the government to consider this in the interest of students,” said Gayetri Kumar, a parent.

“Our children are deprived of getting seats at good colleges as the students of other boards were promoted at school level by suspending board exams. This happened in 2020 too,” said another parent.

Department officials said there was a discussion to consider promoting students based on the previous assessments. But as the assessment was not done properly due to non-availability of offline classes, the suggestion was not considered.