Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic scenario, Madhyamik exams which was scheduled to be held on June 1 to June 10 will not be held, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education informed School Education department. WBBSE has sought to know whether the examination will be deferred or cancelled. Around 10 lakh Madhyamik examinees were supposed to write for their first board exams.
West Bengal Higher Secondary Examination, which was scheduled to begin from June 15 is also on hold.
According to sources, WBBSE President Kalyanmoy Ganguly informed the School Education department that it is not possible to hold the Madhyamik Examinations from its scheduled date. “Whether they will be postponed or cancelled, is a call that will be taken by the state government,” said Ganguly
West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu said that the decision to hold or cancel the examination is a call that will be finally taken by the state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
With local train services being stalled in Bengal and state buses and metros running at 50% capacity, it will be very difficult for students, examiners, teachers and other officials to reach the exam centre or carry question papers and answer scripts physically, said WBBSE officials who had a preliminary discussion with the state school education department. It will also be difficult to hold the examination in rural and semi-urban areas due to shortage of space. The ban on the regular services of transport is believed that will continue till May 31 and hence it will be difficult for them to conduct the exam even if the pandemic situation improves. A formal notification is yet to be received regarding the same.
According to a headmaster of a state government school, “The students are facing serious problems regarding their studies. It was only in the month of February and March that they received a few practical and physical classes.” He further stated, “This is their first board examination and moreover they are not sure whether it will be at all held. The delay in taking the decision is putting their career at jeopardy. They also do not know on what basis they will be evaluated. They will probably be evaluated on their class IX marks as they did not have their selection tests. The marks incurred in this board exam is always important in all future journeys.”
The CISCE has also decided to cancel the ICSE Examination. The decision to hold ISC examination will be taken in early June. The council has instructed the schools to begin the admission procedure for class XI. Students who will be promoted to class XI will have a difficult time coping up with the class XII subjects.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had already cancelled class X examination and postponed class XII examination following a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both the exams were scheduled to begin on May 4. The situation will be reviewed before announcing the Class XII examinations, the Board had earlier announced.
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