BOSE withholds distribution of admit cards to schools
As resentment is brewing among students and teachers alike against the government’s announcement for holding class 10 and 12 exams in November, the authorities seem to be now in a dilemma over the matter.
Senior officials in the education department informed Kashmir Post that authorities were caught in a tight spot over the implementation of their decision following massive protests by the students and criticism from academicians and teachers as well.
“The government is in a dilemma over the decision. Although it wants to conduct the exams in November but there are some factors which forced the authorities to put the decision on hold, unofficially,” an official said wishing not to be named.
Amid the ongoing uprising, the government on September 23 announced the dates for holding secondary and higher secondary exams from second week of November. The decision received criticism from all quarters with academicians accusing government of playing political tactics to portray normalcy and to break the anti-India uprising across Kashmir.
Protests erupted throughout Kashmir and students demanded deferment of exams citing security reasons.
“The authorities are still indecisive about what sort of relaxation should be given to the students as there has been class work of only around 80 days. Students have not completed even 30 percent of syllabus and majority of students have not attended practical classes as well,” officials said.
They said Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Dr. Shah Faesal, on proposal of State Institute of Education (SIE), has written a letter to Commissioner Secretary school education department and sought a joint meeting on the issue.
“There is no clarity on the matter as officials are themselves divided in opinion. Now a meeting is likely to be convened and a final decision will be taken on the matter,” officials said.
Parents complain that the announcement for exams has put students in a distress saying that the prevailing situation was not feasible for holding exams.
“My kid is studying in 12th class. He is under depression since government made announcement to hold exams in November. They have not even completed 30 percent of syllabus in schools and haven’t attended practical classes as well,” said a parent from Srinagar. “Government should re-consider its decision and delay exams till March 2017 otherwise it will have adverse consequences on students.”
Meanwhile sources said that Board of School Education (BOSE) is yet to select the question paper for class 10th and 12th exams. “We have framed three question papers but as of now the final selection for the question paper is yet to be done as there is a lot of confusion over holding exams as per the government announcement,” officials in BOSE said. “Even we have not sent the admit cards of the students to their respective schools as there is no clarity over the exams.”
Secretary BOSE, Veena Pandita, however refused to comment over the issue. “We have started the process to hold exams but can’t comment on every issue,” she said. “There is no final decision on relaxation to be given in exams.”
