VIJAYAWADA: The State government has postponed SSC examinations scheduled from June 7 in view of the second wave of Covid-19. Asserting that the government is in favour of holding the SSC and Intermediate exams, Education Minister A Suresh said they will announce the revised exam schedule after reviewing Covid situation next month.
Despite the demand from various sections, including the Opposition parties, to cancel the exams for this academic year and promote students to the next class in view of the pandemic, the government which is firm on conducting the exams, released the schedule.
With the spike in Covid cases, the Education Department had written to the government to postpone the exams at least for a month as partial curfew is in force and several schools have been converted into isolation centres. Amid this, the government deferred the SSC exams on Thursday.
Speaking after attending a review with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on education, Suresh said they are determined to conduct the SSC and Intermediate exams keeping in view the future of students. The conduct of the SSC and Intermediate exams is very much essential for the future of students. The Centre is also making efforts to conduct the CBSE exams, he said and added that the State also suggested to the Centre to hold the exams.
“A majority of teachers’ unions also opined the same and asked the government to go ahead with its decision to conduct the exams. We are exploring all possibilities to conduct the SSC and Intermediate exams for the benefit of students,” he said.
He urged teachers and parents not to worry as online classes will be held for SSC students. Stating that several teachers too have fallen victim to Covid, the minister said teachers need not attend schools as the exams have been postponed. Responding to TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh’s demand for cancellation of the exams, Suresh said the Opposition parties should not be adamant on their stand. “Is there any guarantee that one does not contract the virus if exams are not held?’’ he retorted.
The State government informed the AP High Court that it had decided to postpone the exams for now. The government said it would review the situation next month and take a call on the conduct of exams. The TDP, however, reiterated its demand for cancellation of the exams. “Cancel the exams following the footsteps of other States and issue pass certificates to students based on their internal marks,’’ TDP leader Alapati Rajendra Prasad said.
He pointed out that the 10th class exams were cancelled by the CBSE, ICSE apart from the governments of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Child Rights Protection Forum State convener Dr Gondu Sitaram, in a press release, welcomed the postponement of the exams. The State government informed the High Court that it has not taken any decision on reopening of schools. It also said it is not possible to vaccinate all teachers.
Covid-19 spread in rural areas still less: Singhal
Giving a different picture on incidence of Covid-19, Principal Secretary (Health) AK Singhal said 29.46% of population lives in urban areas and 70.54% in rural areas. If we take Covid cases reported per lakh, we get 383 in urban areas and 248 in rural areas, which shows that the virus spread in rural areas is still less, he said