BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) on Saturday instructed the Director of Secondary Education (DSE) and the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), to inquire large-scale absence of students in the Class X board exams and furnish the report within six days.
Taking suo-motu cognizance of media reports of the absence of 46,000 Class X students in the Annual High School Certificate (HSC) exams, Commission chairperson Sandhyabati Pradhan sought the inquiry report in this matter from DSE and BSE by May 13.
Pradhan stated that the OSCPCR is mandated to act as a civil court to look into the complaints relating to violation and deprivation of child rights under the provisions of CPCR Act 2005. Although a total 5,71,909 Class X students had enrolled for the examination conducted by the BSE this year, approximately 46,000 did not turn up for one or more papers, triggering apprehensions about the enrolment.
The figure used to remain a maximum of 10,000 to 15,000 during board exams in the previous years.
Earlier on the day, the board authorities had stated that the School and Mass Education department will look into the matter as their responsibility is limited to the issuance of admit cards and the conduct of examinations.
BSE president Ramasish Hazra, however, said the board will be able to inform about the number of students who remained absent after the answer booklets reach the headquarters from the nodal centres.
SME secretary Bishnupada Sethi had earlier stated that the department will look into the matter. He, however, ruled out allegations of any kind of forgery in the number of students enrolled in Class X.
A teacher from one of the schools in Cuttack said the students who appeared for the board examination this year had suffered huge learning losses and had not attended schools properly since their promotion to Class IX two years back owing to the pandemic. In many cases, teachers had visited the homes of these students to bring them to school and also helped them to fill up forms for the board exam, he said.