E-Paper
‘Centre driven by obsession with exams, mustn’t let schools be superspreaders’: Manish Sisodia
At least two states, Maharashtra and Delhi, were of the opinion that exams should not be conducted amid the pandemic.
Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said the Centre should not be driven by an “obsession with examinations” while taking any decision regarding the Class 12 board exams and also cautioned the Union government against turning schools into super spreaders of Covid-19 by conducting exams.
Sisodia’s comment came a day after the Union government convened a digital meeting to decide on the Class 12 board exams and subsequent entrance examinations that were postponed from March-April due to the second wave of Covid-19 across the country.
At least two states, Maharashtra and Delhi, were of the opinion that exams should not be conducted amid the pandemic. Several states also raised the demand of vaccinating students and teachers before conducting exams, officials said; the Centre has asked states to submit their detailed suggestions on the matter by Tuesday.
In an interview to India Today on Monday, Sisodia said, “We will give two suggestions to the Centre on Tuesday--- either to vaccinate around 1.4 core students scheduled to appear for Class 12 exams across the country; or, to cancel the exams and evaluate students on the basis of their historical references. In case a few students are not satisfied with their marks under the alternative method of evaluation, they should be given another option to appear for exams when the situation improves.”
“The government should not be driven by an obsession with examinations and prioritise the interests of students. We should not turn schools into super spreaders due to our mistake (of holding exams during the pandemic),” he said.
Sisodia said the central government should speak to Pfizer, which has developed a vaccine for children above the age of 12 years, and acquire that vaccine for inoculating 1.4 crore students (across all boards, all over India) who are currently studying in the 12th grade. “Or, the government may consult health experts on whether the vaccine given to those in the age group of 18+ can also be given to the students of class 12, who are mostly 17 or 17.5 years old,” he said.
In another interview to NDTV, Sisodia said, “I request the Centre to consider that over 2.5 lakh Covid-19 cases are still being reported from across the country on a daily basis. Even as the cases are receding in Delhi, Covid-19 has started to make inroads into rural India. Besides, there are theories that the third wave of Covid-19 will mostly affect children. Any decision should be taken after considering all these factors... We cannot conduct exams by risking the safety and security of our children.”
