CHENNAI: Teachers and students stranded in places far away from their schools have appealed to the government to let them appear for board examinations in their current place of stay. Many students and teachers went home once the lockdown was announced, and now returning for the Class-X examination remains a challenge. 

Teachers have requested that they be posted for duty at centres near their place of stay and students want to write exams near in their native place. Sharmila*, a student at a residential school in Chennai went back to her home in Cuddalore as soon as education institutions were shut. 

“My parents are trying to arrange for a car to come to Chennai, and it will cost over Rs 8,000. It will be very helpful if I could write my exam in Cuddalore,” she said. Similarly C Sridhar, a teacher who works at a government school in Vellore, with much struggle had reached his home in Thanjavur.

“In order to reach Vellore from here, buses have to pass through Kancheepuram or Chennai where inter-district buses are not plying. I do not know how I will get to my school,” he told Express. A senior School Education Department official told Express that the government is considering the request, but has made no final decision on it. Meanwhile, the School Education Department has asked all CEOs to submit transport requirement of students writing Class 10 public exam and list of teachers in charge of transportation by Monday.

SoP for conduct of Class X exams

The State government has issued standard operating procedures for the conduct of the Class 10 public exams, which begins on June 15

• All staff, teachers and students will be screened with a no-touch thermometer
• If any student has higher than normal temperature, he/she will be segregated
• Students with influenza-like symptoms will not be allowed to write the exam and such students will be sent to nearest hospital
• Sick students who have not tested positive will be allowed to write the exam in a separate room
• Students who have tested positive can write the exams later
• Buses and vans transporting students should be disinfected