Ahead of final exams, fresh circular puts city schools in a fix

Mumbai: As city schools were gearing up to start final examinations for their students from batches 5 to 9, the school education department has released a circular stating a change in the academic and exam schedule

Mumbai: As city schools were gearing up to start final examinations for their students from batches 5 to 9, the school education department has released a circular stating a change in the academic and exam schedule.

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As per the latest circular, schools are being asked to ensure regular lecture days until mid-April and to encourage 100% attendance among students. Exams should be scheduled to take place post the third week of April and results should be announced in May, states the circular dated March 24.

However, schools are confused because most have already scheduled their exams to begin in the last week of March or first week of April, with the aim of announcing results on or before May 1.

“We have followed the government circulars only and ensured that the syllabus was completed within the stipulated time. Once the syllabus was over, we scheduled the exams,” said Saba Patel, principal, Anjuman-I-Islam School, Bandra. She added that at her school, class 9 exams are currently underway while exams for classes 5 to 8 will start from Friday, March 25. “All our exams will be over by April 8, and results will be announced in time to give students and teachers a much-needed vacation,” she added.

The government circular released on Thursday reiterates some points mentioned in their previous circular, which is insistence on offline/physical classes for all. The additional information on exam dates has left schools as well as teachers angry.

“While schools were in online mode, the fact is that teachers were working 6 days a week and ensuring that the curriculum is covered well. By demanding that exams now be held in the last week of April, the government is hinting at no summer break for already overburdened teachers and staff of schools, which is unfair,” said the headmistress of a suburban school.

As of now, most schools have decided to continue with their schedule. “The government circular is accepted only once the local education body approves and addresses the circular to all schools. We will check if the same is binding when we receive the circular,” said the principal of a Dadar school, adding that in the meantime, the school will continue with their own academic and exam schedule.