E-Paper
Students appearing for board exams stressed over uncertainty
Class 10 and 12 students are undergoing tremendous stress as they await a decision by the state government on holding the board examination amidst rising Covid cases and a possibility of a total lockdown
Class 10 and 12 students are undergoing tremendous stress as they await a decision by the state government on holding the board examination amidst rising Covid cases and a possibility of a total lockdown.
If no changes are made, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Certificate (MSBSHSE), is scheduled to conduct the board exam for Classes 10, 12 beginning from April-end.
Due to the rise in Covid cases, Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad issued an order promoting all students from Classes 1 to 9 and 11 to the next academic year without conducting an examination. However, the decision is pending for Classes 10, 12.
Sampada Waghmare, a student of Class 12 appearing for the board exam said that she is preparing for the exam but is anxious about the rising Covid cases.
“I want to pursue law after Class 12. My Common Law Aptitude Test (CLAT) examination is scheduled in the month of June. If the board exams are conducted now there will be a high risk of Covid and if they are conducted later, I will have to give more time for the Class 12 exam and my preparation for the competitive exams will take a back seat. This situation is causing a lot of stress to me right now. I have not applied for the Maharashtra state Common Entrance Test (CET) but my other friends have. They are in a similar situation,” said Waghmare.
Sakshi Patil, a Class 12 student who is appearing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering said two papers have been done so far.
“I have been preparing for both exams, JEE and the boards simultaneously. It is very stressful to know that the board exam may get postponed. At the same time, if it is conducted now, there is a threat of Covid-19. If the exam is postponed, it may clash with the JEE papers. There is a lot of stress around his issue and I am not able to focus on the studies because of this,” said Patil.
Prabhat Kelkar, father of a Class 12 student whose son is appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) said students are stressed due to the uncertainty.
“My son, Ashwin has worked very hard the whole year. The students had to adjust to online education from school and also from coaching classes. This past year has been a challenge but now with the uncertainty of the examination students are stressed and their morale is down. The board should take the decision soon so that students can focus on competitive exams with more clarity,” said Kelkar.
