Nagpur: A long exam season lies ahead for Std XII starting from pre-boards, to boards to competitive exams. While this busy schedule itself is nothing new, this year it’s the confusion surrounding dates and syllabus which makes it worse.
Pre-boards, known commonly in Maharashtra as prelims, are something about which even schools are not too sure this year.
Dilip Bose, secretary of School Headmasters Charitable Association (SHCA) said, “We have not received any directive from the state education department regarding holding prelims. In some districts the department issued notices to school for conducting semester exams. In such a scenario why would we even think of organizing any exam. Let the government give dates and we shall take it forward.”
Since state education department does not interfere with academic schedule of other boards, CBSE schools will be preparing for pre-boards separately.
Reena Dargan, chairperson of Nagpur Sahodaya Schools Complex said, “Every school will do it according to their convenience. There’s no common exam date for pre-boards. Schools which have reopened in physical will plan the dates.”
Practical exam dates or their format has not yet been declared be either of these two popular boards.
A state board school principal said, “It’s the complete failure of government to take decisive steps. They are keeping everything for the last moment and thus increasing anxiety levels.”
Board exam dates too have not been finalized by authorities. Bose said his organization is strictly against jumping into board exams without physical classrooms. “HSC exams cannot be held unless and until teaching is done in physical mode for six months. That’s because online classes option is not available to everybody. You can’t expect a poor student to appear for board exams without having got a single day’s education,” said Bose.
For competitive exams, the situation is not much different. Sameer Phale, a well known coaching institute owner said, “Students need minimum six months of physical class coaching to be ready for competitive exams. We are all teaching online and the syllabus is either complete or on the verge of completion. But there are many doubts which cannot be clarified unless you have the students present in physical classrooms.”
Rajnikant Bondre, president of Association of Coaching Institutes (ACI) said they will be meeting civic officials soon to press for reopening. “Very soon we will seek appointment with Nagpur Municipal Commissioner and request for reopening of our institutes. Everything else has opened up, from liquor shops to cinema halls to religious places. We do not see any reason why our institutes must remain closed,” said Bondre.