Tamil Nadu cancels half-yearly exams for government school students

The Tamil Nadu’s school education minister, K A Sengottaiyan on Wednesday said that half-yearly examinations for students in government and government-aided schools are cancelled for the current academic year.

The Tamil Nadu’s school education minister, K A Sengottaiyan on Wednesday said that half-yearly examinations for students in government and government-aided schools are cancelled for the current academic year. The exams have been cancelled amidst the Covid-19 pandemic where Tamil Nadu has reported more than eight-lakh cases. “We have allowed private schools to conduct online exams if required,” said Sengottaiyan speaking to reporters in Erode district on Wednesday.

Representative

The state has still not decided on a date to reopen schools. “The chief minister will take a decision after speaking to parents, students and educators,” Sengottaiyan said. The government had earlier announced that schools will reopen on November 16 but postponed it after holding consultations with parents who feared safety of their children amidst the pandemic.

Classes for medical colleges and final year students of undergraduate courses re-opened from December 7 onwards. The state has now instructed all educational institutions to follow Covid-19 standard operating procedures and conduct testing after IIT-Madras has turned into a coronavirus cluster with 191 cases just in December. Chennai’s Anna University also reported six positive cases on Wednesday after 550 people on campus were tested.