Students worried about losing a year as Maharashtra State Board yet to announce schedule for HSC, SSC re-exams

Nearly three months after results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams were declared, the Maharashtra State Board

Nearly three months after results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams were declared, the Maharashtra State Board is yet to announce the exam schedule for repeaters, leaving thousands of students in the lurch.

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Every year, the board conducts supplementary exams for students who fail their SSC and HSC exams. While the main examinations are conducted in March, the supplementary exams are held in July. Students who pass the supplementary exams can thus begin their first year of college in the same academic year. This year, however, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the board results came out in July and August, respectively, and the board is yet to make an announcement on the supplementary exams. “A decision on whether the exams can be conducted and if yes, how, is yet to be taken,” said a board official.

According to a letter sent to the secretaries of all divisional boards in August, the Maharashtra State Board has proposed to hold supplementary exams from October 6 to 23. The proposed schedule for Class 12 exams was October 6 to 29. However, with no announcement from the board yet, students have no clarity over the issue.

“I failed my SSC exams in mathematics by just three marks, and now wish to write the paper again. But the delay in announcing the exam schedule has led to the loss of an academic year for students like me,” said Asawari Shinde, a Parel-based student. Nearly 2 lakh HSC and SSC students from the state did not clear their board exams this year.

Officials at the state education department did not respond to calls and messages.