THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It seems the Higher Secondary exam board has not learnt lessons from last year’s huge outcry by Plus One students who had to attend two model exams on a single day, thereby spending a minimum of five-and-a-half hours a day in the exam hall. Despite teachers pointing out the physical and mental stress it causes to students, the Higher Secondary exam wing has decided to go ahead with a similar schedule this year as well.
The Plus One model exams are slated to begin in June. According to the exam schedule, a Plus One student who attempts the Computer Science exam in the forenoon session on June 2 will have to attend the Chemistry exam in the afternoon session. Similarly, a student who attempts the Sociology exam in the morning will also have to write the History exam in the forenoon the same day.
On June 3, students will have to attempt the Mathematics exam in the morning and the Part II - Languages exam in the afternoon. On June 4, Accountancy and Computer Application exams have been scheduled in the forenoon and afternoon sessions, respectively.
The schedule has been arranged in such a manner that a student who attempts the English exam in the forenoon session on June 6 will also have to write the Economics or Physics exam in the afternoon on the same day.
“The model exam plays a crucial role in equipping students for their first higher secondary board exam and the current exam schedule has not done any justice to this objective,” pointed out a higher secondary teacher. Besides, there is no focus area earmarked for the students and the exam would cover the entire Plus one syllabus.
Teachers point out that in the Plus One Board exam, the schedule is prepared in such a manner that a student does not have to attempt more than one exam on a single day. They have demanded that the same pattern be followed in the model examination as well so that students are not physically and mentally exhausted.