With the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise, the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) helpline has been flooded with calls from parents and students demanding that the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination be put off for the time being.
Subject experts and psychologists have been roped in to man the helplines so that they can clear the doubts of students related to their portions and help them manage exam stress. However, in the past few days, they have been receiving a different kind of calls. Many irate parents are losing their cool with those answering the calls, with some even verbally abusing the staff and asking them to connect their call to Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar, the helpline staff said.
“The parents are asking us if we can issue in writing that their child will not get COVID-19. The parents are anxious and go on a monologue asking us why the exam cannot be postponed,” a teacher said.
“Over the past couple of days, very few people have called to ask any clarification related to subjects. They have been asking us about the precautionary measures. The other day, a student called me and told me that she was feeling uncomfortable wearing a mask for a long period of time. When I told her she had to wear the mask for the exam, she asked me to try wearing the mask for three hours and then hung up,” said another teacher.
Other calls include questions to board officials about whether they would bear the treatment cost in private hospitals if the students got COVID-19. Some students are also up to mischief, asking helpline officials if they would be allowed to write the exam wearing PPE kits and face shields.
Suman S., a parent whose daughter is to write the exam in Bengaluru, said, “I called the helpline to find out if there are any students from containment zones who will write the exam at the centre where my daughter has to go. The helpline staff said they could not disclose such details.”
The SSLC exam is scheduled from June 25 to July 4. A total of 8.48 lakh students have registered for it.
The helpline — 080-23310075/23310076 — is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.