Clarity awaited on State public exams

CHENNAI: As the new year begins parents, teachers, students and members of school management are urging the government to clarify how public exams will be conducted. In addition to the exam date-sheet and syllabus, many have urged to reopen schools on a trial-and-error basis for class 10 and 12 students, at least for a while, ahead of the exams.

School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan recently said that public exam dates would be announced only after the schedule for the Assembly elections are fixed. S Arumainathan, president, Tamil Nadu Students Parents’ Welfare Association, told Express that students and parents were expecting schools to reopen after Pongal holidays. “With the new strain of the virus, the government seems hesitant to take a decision in a hasty manner. But parents are becoming restless,” he said.

He added that private schools have tutored students online while government schools students have not had the chance. “Whateverdecision the government takes, it should be common for both private and public schools,” he said. Meanwhile representatives of private schools have been lobbying for reopening for months now. “Students have no exposure to practical work. We have been pressuring the government to issue a time table for the public exams, so that we can prepare students,” he said.

It is government school students, who have been worst affected by lockdown, said PK Ilamaran, leader of Tamil Nadu Government Teachers’ association.  “Most government school students in classes 10 and 12 have had no interaction with teachers. They have had only a one-way learning from Kalvi TV. They will not be able to face the public exams, without practice,” he said.

Ilamaran urged the State to release the priority syllabus, based on which the public exams question paper will be set. “Students are very confused and are under a lot of pressure. Releasing the priority syllabus will reduce the stress and help focus on important portions,” he said.

‘CBSE date-sheet not released yet’
Chennai: Shortly after the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced that the CBSE examination would commence on May 4, a ‘fake’ date sheet for class 12 and 10 examinations circulated on social media platforms. However, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) took to Twitter and informed of the fake news as it said: “A date sheet for class 12th and 10th exams 2020-21 allegedly issued by the CBSE is in circulation on social media. This date sheet is fake.”

Although, Dr RP Nishank has announced that class 10th and  12th board examinations will be held from May 4 to June 10.