BHUBANESWAR: The School and Mass Education department has sought the intervention of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) for changing the timing of CBSE and CISCE Class X examinations, that are scheduled in May. Sources said the department has taken up the matter with the SRC, stating that the timing fixed by CBSE and CISCE for the Class X examinations does not comply with State’s government’s heat wave guidelines. The examinations will be held during peak summer in the State and the timings are not conducive to the health and well-being of the students, the SME department has contended.
The CBSE Class X examinations will commence from May 4 and CISCE from May 5. The exam timing for most of the CBSE papers is 10.30 am whereas the ICSE Class X exams will start from 11 am. Sources said in view the safety of students, the department wants the timings to be changed on the lines of the Board of Secondary Examination (BSE), Odisha, which will conduct the HSC examinations from 8 am to 10 am.
“Since school timings are being revised across the State in view of the scorching summer and heat wave conditions, the timing announced by both the Central educational bodies for the exams also needs to be rescheduled as summer would be at its peak during that period,” department authorities told TNIE. “As the BSE has already done it, other boards and council too should revise their timing in the interest of the students,” said School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash.
Ashok Patnaik, whose ward studies in a private school affiliated to CISCE said, “The State government must interfere in the matter as it would not be safe for students to appear the test at 11 am and come out of the examination hall at 1 pm or 2 pm. The matter is more concerning as the IMD has forecast summer to be particularly harsh this year.”
Members of Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangh also demanded that the examination timing of all boards and councils be prepared keeping in view of the possible heat wave condition. “We will take up the matter with the State government seeking its intervention in the matter,” said Odisha Parents’ Federation chairman Basudev Bhatt.
School timings changed
The State government revised the school timings for secondary and higher secondary students in view of heat wave forecast. In its notification, the School and Mass Education department stated that school timings will be from 7 am to 9 am for Class IX and XI and 8 am to 12 pm for Class X and XII.