Vaccination not mandatory for upcoming exams, clarifies CISCE

CISCE has clarified that the board merely advised all affiliated schools to encourage parents of students to get their wards between 15 and 18 years of age vaccinated at the earliest.

Mumbai: Days after state school education minister Varsha Gaikwad approached the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) as well as the union education minister regarding a mandate by the board making vaccination compulsory for all those appearing exams, the CISCE released a circular clarifying that their earlier circular has been misinterpreted.

Varsha Gaikwad has shared a copy of this circular on Twitter and thanked the board members for clarifying the same. (HT PHOTO)

In a new circular dated April 22, CISCE has clarified that the board merely advised all affiliated schools to encourage parents of students to get their wards between 15 and 18 years of age vaccinated at the earliest.

“The CISCE reiterates that this was only an advisory to all affiliated schools. It is neither compulsory, mandatory or a pre-condition for candidates appearing for ICSE (Class 10) and ISC (Class 12) exams this year,” stated the latest circular.

Gaikwad has shared a copy of this circular on Twitter and thanked the board members for clarifying the same. “Hope this assuages the concerns of students and parents,” she wrote.

At present, vaccine certificates are not compulsory for attendance in higher education institutes in the state, as mentioned by the state minister for higher and technical education Uday Samant last month. No such clarification for schools has been released.