Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 2

Even as the majority of Plus Two students across the city were on Tuesday a happy lot as their board exams for this year were cancelled. But the decision has not gone down well with the academicians who feel that it would have a negative impact on the education system.

Teachers and principals of almost all schools here said that the decision had not just impacted the outgoing Plus Two batch but also those who had just entered this class now. The students would become least serious about their studies and would start expecting that this might happen to them as well in the coming year and hence no need to be regular with the subjects.

Jatinder Singh, Principal, MGN Public School, Urban Estate, says, “The entire system has gone hotchpotch with the government’s decision. The government has not trusted the school authorities who had assured that they would be able to make all arrangements for the students’ safety. We had already geared up ourselves for conducting 90 marks paper on OMR sheets. Judging the students on the past performance will not bring fair results at least for those whom we inspired to work very hard this year to get enrolled in a better college.” The schools are also worried that many of the children who were aspiring to go in for higher education abroad may get stuck.

Rachna Monga, Principal, Sanskriti KMV School, too gave her opinion, “I respect the government’s decision. But as the principal of a school I can say with full conviction that I was capable of safely conducting the examination of 200 Plus Two students of my school. I have 60 rooms and 120 teachers and I could have adjusted them all well with the strictest of the SOPs. Even an online exam system could have been evolved. It will definitely have a long-term impact on their basic knowledge. The students of medical and non-medical streams are still okay with examination not being conducted for they will be going to colleges on the basis of entrance systems. The worst sufferers will be the students of commerce and humanities stream who aspired to take admission in DU colleges and now might not be able to make it if the evaluation system is not in their favour.”

She said, “Now everyone is waiting for the modalities to come out for finalising the assessment system of these students. We are expecting these to come to us in another 15 days or so.”