Exam council asks states to allow schools to reopen ahead of boards

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), which conducts the ICSE and ISC examinations, on Thursday said that it had requested chief ministers to allow its affiliated schools to reopen partially from January, specifically for students of classes 10 and 12 who will be appearing for these exams.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), which conducts the ICSE and ISC examinations, on Thursday said that it had requested chief ministers to allow its affiliated schools to reopen partially from January, specifically for students of classes 10 and 12 who will be appearing for these exams.

File photo for representation

Gerry Arathoon, chief executive of CISCE, said that most schools affiliated to it had continued teaching students in an online, offline or blended manner.

“For the final run-up to the examinations, CISCE has requested the chief ministers of all state governments and UTs to allow schools to reopen partially, specifically for the students of classes 10 and 12 from January 4, 2021. With the students physically attending school, this time will be utilised for practical work, project work, SUPW work and for doubt clearing lessons. This will be extremely beneficial to the students who will now get the time to interact directly with their teachers,” said Arathoon in a statement released on Thursday.

Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of Covid-19 and partially reopened in some states from October 15 for academic guidance lessons. In Haryana, the state government had initiated regular classes from November 2 for students in classes 9 to 12. However, schools were closed once again as Covid-19 cases among school students started to spike, after the resumption of physical classroom sessions from November 2.

Arathoon said that if allowed to reopen, schools will be asked to follow the directives of the state government regarding Covid-19 and to conform to the safety guidelines and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the health department to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

District education officer Indu Boken said that both private and government schools in the state were closed at least till December 10 and further orders from the government were awaited. “Schools will remain closed till December 10. We will wait for the government to issue further directions on reopening,” said Boken.

ICSE schools in the city said that practical work was a crucial component of the course and needed to be completed in schools. Schools said that they would seek the consent of parents if and when the state government gives a go-ahead.

Sudha Goyal, principal of Scottish High International School, which offers ICSE among other curricula, said that while the school had been conducting practical sessions via zoom, students had not performed the experiments on their own till now due to Covid-19 concerns and school closure. “So far, our lab assistants or teachers have been visiting the school and conducting the experiments. The activity is streamed through Zoom for students at home. On their own, students are yet to conduct practical activities. For students in board classes, practical activities are crucial,” said Goyal.

Before the Haryana government ordered the closure of schools in November, only a few students with appointments and parental consent had been visiting the school for doubt-clearing sessions. She said that if the government were to allow students to visit school, the school will be able to conduct practical sessions for students in class 10 and 12 with physical distancing norms in place. “The school is being sanitized on a daily basis. It’s a very safe space. Whenever the government reopens schools, we will reach out to parents and seek consent. If the parents don’t allow children, we will not force them,” said Goyal.

An official from The Shri Ram School, another ICSE school in the city, said that the school would await directions from the state government before taking any call regarding the conduct of practical sessions in schools. “We will abide by the instructions of the government. Currently, schools have been asked to remain shut till December 10. If and when they allow, we will assess the situation before making any decision,” said the official.