HYDERABAD: Hours after the high court directed the state not to hold SSC (Class X) examination in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area from June 8 due to spurt in Covid-19 cases, the Telangana government on Saturday night decided to defer the school-leaving examination across the state. The development comes just 48 hours before over five lakh students were to take the examination across the state save the containment areas.
There was a mixed response to the decision from parents and students as the SSC exam has been deferred for the second time. The SSC exams were first postponed in March following the high court’s intervention after the students appeared for the first and second language exams.
Announcing the decision, education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said: “The strategy to be followed when it comes to SSC examinations will be placed in a meeting with the chief minister soon and a decision will be announced.”
Earlier in the day, the high court bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy made it clear that lives of children were more precious than their careers and directed the government not to conduct SSC examinations in GHMC (Hyderabad and Secunderbad and parts of Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Medchal districts) area as “coronavirus is spreading wide and fast”. The court, however, allowed the government to go ahead with the exams in the rest of the state after taking due precautions and reviewing the situation every week.
Can use internal assessment to promote students , suggests CJ
Though the government had the option to hold the exam in other areas of the state, the administration decided to defer the exams, as education officials said it was more convenient than conducting it in phases — first for students in the rest of the state and later for those from GHMC area.
The HC bench, which was hearing a PIL filed by M Balakrishna, appreciated the decision of the state to allow those students who miss their SSC exams now to clear their examinations in the supplementary examinations as regular students without the stigmatic tag of supplementary students.
Advocate general BS Prasad briefed the bench in two spells about the safety arrangements made by the state. However, the bench saw more force in the argument of petitioner’s counsel who raised apprehensions about the safety of the students in GHMC area. The counsel cited the statistics issued in the state's bulletins to drive home his point.
When the AG was repeatedly citing the arrangements made by special chief secretary, education, Chitra Ramachandran, the bench sought to know if the state was ready to grant Rs 5 crore as compensation to the aggrieved parents in case of the death of a child. “Put that IAS officer in the shoes of that unfortunate parent and ask her how much compensation would bring that child back,” the CJ said, adding, “will she demand Rs 5 crore or Rs 50 crore as compensation?”
Chief Justice Chauhan repeatedly reminded the state about the decision of the Punjab government that promoted all its class X students without any examinations. You too can do so. You can even take their internal assessment reports to do this, the CJ said.
The bench posted the case to June 19 to review the situation in the rest of the state.
There was a mixed response to the decision from parents and students as the SSC exam has been deferred for the second time. The SSC exams were first postponed in March following the high court’s intervention after the students appeared for the first and second language exams.
Announcing the decision, education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy said: “The strategy to be followed when it comes to SSC examinations will be placed in a meeting with the chief minister soon and a decision will be announced.”
Earlier in the day, the high court bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy made it clear that lives of children were more precious than their careers and directed the government not to conduct SSC examinations in GHMC (Hyderabad and Secunderbad and parts of Rangareddy, Sangareddy and Medchal districts) area as “coronavirus is spreading wide and fast”. The court, however, allowed the government to go ahead with the exams in the rest of the state after taking due precautions and reviewing the situation every week.
Can use internal assessment to promote students , suggests CJ
Though the government had the option to hold the exam in other areas of the state, the administration decided to defer the exams, as education officials said it was more convenient than conducting it in phases — first for students in the rest of the state and later for those from GHMC area.
The HC bench, which was hearing a PIL filed by M Balakrishna, appreciated the decision of the state to allow those students who miss their SSC exams now to clear their examinations in the supplementary examinations as regular students without the stigmatic tag of supplementary students.
Advocate general BS Prasad briefed the bench in two spells about the safety arrangements made by the state. However, the bench saw more force in the argument of petitioner’s counsel who raised apprehensions about the safety of the students in GHMC area. The counsel cited the statistics issued in the state's bulletins to drive home his point.
When the AG was repeatedly citing the arrangements made by special chief secretary, education, Chitra Ramachandran, the bench sought to know if the state was ready to grant Rs 5 crore as compensation to the aggrieved parents in case of the death of a child. “Put that IAS officer in the shoes of that unfortunate parent and ask her how much compensation would bring that child back,” the CJ said, adding, “will she demand Rs 5 crore or Rs 50 crore as compensation?”
Chief Justice Chauhan repeatedly reminded the state about the decision of the Punjab government that promoted all its class X students without any examinations. You too can do so. You can even take their internal assessment reports to do this, the CJ said.
The bench posted the case to June 19 to review the situation in the rest of the state.
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