E-Paper
Covid effect: 8 lakh students of class 9 & 11 promoted sans exams in Jharkhand
About eight lakh students studying in class 9 and class 11 have been promoted to higher classes without any examinations in wake of second wave of Covid-19 and lockdown like restrictions imposed in Jharkhand since April 22, officials said on Thursday.
About eight lakh students studying in class 9 and class 11 have been promoted to higher classes without any examinations in wake of second wave of Covid-19 and lockdown like restrictions imposed in Jharkhand since April 22, officials said on Thursday.
State secondary education directorate has issued an order in this regard on Thursday and asked all school headmasters to promote the students and ensure their admissions in higher classes at the earliest.
Officials said physical operation of classroom activity for these classes could not be conducted, barring a limited period from March 1 this year, due to Covid pandemic.
The academic session for 2020-21 has already ended on March 31 and new session has started from April 1. The students already suffered academic loss of two months this year, an education official said.
State government has extended the Swasthya Suraksha Saptah (health protection week) for the fifth times till June 3.
State secondary education director Harsh Mangla said, “It doesn’t appear possible for reopening of schools in next few months. In such situation, students would not get enough time for the syllabus of class-10 and class-12 in case they are not promoted. So, state government has decided to promote the students of class-9 and class-11 to higher classes.”
Officials at Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC), which conducts the examinations for class 9 and class 11, said around eight lakh students study in both classes across the schools in Jharkhand.
Jharkhand government has already promoted the students from class 1 to 8 to higher classes without any examination in view of the Covid pandemic.
Schools are closed since March this year in wake of Covid-19 pandemic triggered lockdowns. After cases of coronavirus disease started declining, state government had permitted reopening schools for students of class-10 and class-12 with certain conditions in view of board examinations next year December 21 last year. The government in February allowed classes above class-8 from March 1.
However, the school operations again got affected due to second wave of Coronavirus disease from April this year. Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) on April 17 had postponed the board examinations for class-10 (Matriculation) and class-12 (Intermediate), which was scheduled from May 4 to May 21.
The JAC officials had said that they would issue fresh examination schedule after reviewing the Covid situation on June 1.
