Elaborate arrangements were in place for the delayed SSLC examination that begins across Mysuru district from Thursday. A total of 39,822 students will appear for the exam at 139 centres which have been sanitized.
Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar said: “We are 100 percent ready to conduct the exam smoothly and all recommended precautions are in place for the safety of children. Parents need not panic as it is safe for their wards to write the exam.”
The Department of Public Instruction and schools had taken parents and students into confidence ahead of the crucial examination which was delayed over COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Last week’s second PU exam of English paper gave confidence to the students and parents on the arrangements as it was a kind of a litmus test for the government.
A total of 1,500 students will be ferried to the exam centres in private buses and 4,900-plus children will use KSRTC route buses to reach the centres. The ride in KSRTC buses will be free for the students and the department was bearing the transportation cost.
40,000 face masks procured
As many as 40,000 masks had been kept ready for distribution and thermal screening of students will be done before they enter the classroom. The DDPI and the BEOs, along with 2,700 staff, will oversee the exam with the support of health workers who will be screening the students using thermal scanners.
“One thermal scanner will be used for 200 students. Sufficient number of scanners has been procured for hassle-free screening,” the DC said.
The public and organisations advised against assembling in groups outside the exam centre for distributing masks or sanitizers to the students. “If they want to give, they can give them directly to the school heads. Such assemblies will not be allowed and police personnel will be deployed to stop such gatherings.”
Mr. Sankar also advised the parents to leave the centres immediately after dropping off their children and desist from gathering in groups.
Exam centre shifted
In view of confusion over Avila Convent exam centre on Krishna Vilas Road, the exam centre has been shifted to Maharani’s Composite PU College. The parents had requested for the change as the earlier centre was in a containment area.
22 students from containment area
As many as 22 students from the containment areas in the district will write the exam in separate classrooms, Mr. Sankar said, adding that students are requested to reach their centres well ahead of time to facilitate screening procedures which commence from 7.30 a.m. The exam starts at 10.30 a.m.
Section 144 CrPC will be in force in 200 metre radius of the centre on the day of exam and sufficient number of ambulances and government vehicles will be kept ready for emergency reasons.
Keeping in view the infection rate, additional exam centres had been kept ready in case of the existing centres coming under containment areas in case of any new cases. “We have 1:1 exam centre in the district,” said Mr. Sankar.
Meanwhile, a dry run of the exam was conducted here on Wednesday and several anxious students and their parents witnessed it ahead of tomorrow’s exam.