Half-yearly exams in govt schools deferred

CHENNAI: School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan on Saturday announced the postponement of half yearly exams in government schools. Revised exam schedule will be announced later. Private schools, however, have decided to conduct the exams online.

While the private schools have been conducting online classes, only resort for the government school students were lessons broadcasted on Kalvi TV. Schools in Tamil Nadu remain shut in fear of a second round of contagion and government schools students, who mostly hail from poor family backgrounds, may not be able to take the exams online.

“The government should resume in-person classes for at least Class 12 students. They will be severely under-prepared for public exams if they are not trained now,” said Tamil Nadu Government Teachers Association leader PK Ilamaran. “The government should announce the priority syllabus, based on which public exam question paper would be set.

It was announced that 40 per cent of syllabus will be slashed. But we do not know it,” he added. Preparations for half-yearly exams are already underway in private schools. Tamil Nadu Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE Schools Association leader KR Nandhakumar said that private schools have agreed to complete exams by December 24, so that students can have Christmas vacation.

“We are expect ing in-person classes to resume by the first week of January,” he said. “This time, there is more weightage for objective and MCQ questions. It is easier to test students online using this format,” Nandhakumar added. However, some schools have asked students to write exam and send scanned pictures within designated time after the completion of tests. Other schools are increasing the weightage of cumulative assessments and class tests in the exam’s total score.