E-Paper
Punjab school students in a quandary over common entrance exam date
Earlier, the common entrance test was scheduled to be held on April 16 but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak
The students who have been preparing for the common entrance test (CET) to get admission in meritorious schools across the state are in a dilemma as the Society for Promotion of Quality Education for Poor and Meritorious Students of Punjab has not announced the date for the exam yet.
Earlier, the CET was scheduled to be held on April 16 but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
A total of 19,000 students have got themselves registered online for the entrance exam, the date for which has been extended five times till now.
With uncertainty regarding the exam date, the students are worried and concerned about how to take forward their preparation for the exam that used to be held in the first week of May till last year.
Avani Sharma, a former student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, said, “I feel frustrated as the authorities have not yet given any clarity regarding the entrance exam date. I am also staying in constant touch with my teachers to inquire about the CET date. There is no information regarding it on the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan website as well.”
“I scored 84% marks in Class 10 pre-board exams and was promoted to the next class. I have been preparing for the entrance exam since the lockdown was imposed,” she added.
Manvi Dholan, a student of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Jagraon, said, “I registered online for the exam last month and was very excited to take admission in a meritorious school as such schools provide free of cost professional coaching to medical, non-medical and commerce students.”
“But now I feel I will have to continue with my studies online therefore I took admission in Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Jagraon, last week. With the rising number of Covid cases, all boards have cancelled the board exams so I’m worried that the test might get cancelled as well.”
All ten meritorious schools in the state had been turned into quarantine centres last month. Patients with mild symptoms are being treated there.
Inderpal Singh Malhotra, assistant project director, Punjab Meritorious Schools, said, “We are planning to conduct the entrance exam in July and will finalise the date soon. The online classes can be started in August. In total, 19,000 students have registered online for Class 11 admissions.”
On being asked how the exam would be conducted next month with the number of Covid cases on the rise, he said, “We cannot admit the students in Class 11 in meritorious schools without an entrance exam. It will not be easy to conduct the exam for 19,000 students but we are considering several ways and might increase the number of exam centers. We have to follow the social distancing norms while conducting the exam.”
