CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its response by June 11 to a plea from the Students Federation of India (SFI) seeking to postpone the board exams for classes X and XII till COVID-19 is contained.
SFI, referring to a news report saying the Centre had said the exam centres cannot be set up in containment zones, submitted that it would be difficult for students from containment zones to attend the exams. Admitting the plea, a special division bench of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice PT Asha directed the state to file its response by June 11.
The petitioner contended that there is every chance that the students would have forgotten the lessons. "Online classes are not possible or available to every child. The schools should conduct revision classes prior to conducting the examination. Examination should not be conducted hurriedly for the sake of conducting," the petitioner said.
The petitioner said that the Higher Education Minister has announced that the exams for the colleges would be conducted only when the pandemic is contained. Citing the news report, the petitioner further said tht Minister's announcement had left several teachers shocked.
The petitioner contended that the teachers have said it was possible to set up exam centres in the containment zones.
But for teachers and students coming from such zones, additional space for evaluation and exam centres, ensuring social distancing and provision of sanitisers and water facilities for the students and teachers can be a nightmare for the authorities, he submitted.