Putting an end to the long anxious wait of students, Karnataka’s minister for primary and secondary education S Suresh Kumar on Thursday (May 13) announced that the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Exams (SSLC) has been postponed.
The exams were scheduled to commence on June 21 for class 10 students studying the state syllabus in schools across the state. Kumar confirmed the same in a press note on Thursday afternoon.
Karnataka has been under a strict lockdown since May 10 as the second wave of Covid has battered the state with an unprecedented rise in cases, pushing Karnataka to be one of the states with the largest number of positive cases. The Covid positivity rate peaked at nearly 30 percent in the state.
Citing that the decision was taken after several requests by the parents and students’ community, he said that a suitable decision would be taken once the pandemic subsides.
In a note, he urged students to continue with their preparations to face the board exams and not be disheartened by such a decision. He also assured them that the revised dates would be announced much ahead of schedule to help students be prepared.
Previously, the Associated Management of Private Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) had asked the education minister to take a decision in this regard bearing the interest of the students in mind. Responding to the decision to postpone exams, D Shashikumar, general secretary, KAMS said that they welcome the move and that the teachers’ community and schools would stand by the government when they reschedule the exams.
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