Board Exam Dates, Reopening Schools, COVID Guidelines: How States Are Getting Ready
After the announcement of CBSE Board exams dates for Classes 10 and 12, the states have started reopening their schools to prepare the students for the board exams. Here is a comprehensive list of various steps taken by the state education authorities.
After holding online classes for over nine months in 2020, various private and government state schools have now opened their doors for students and teachers to conduct regular classes and prepare for the upcoming 2021 board examinations especially for Classes 10 and 12. States including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim had reopened their schools for Classes 10 and 12 last year in December itself after preparing as per the COVID-19 protocol. While for the rest of the students, the schools opened on January 1.
CBSE Board exams 2021 will begin on May 4 and end on May 14 while the practical exams will be held on school-level from March 1 onwards. Final datesheet is yet to be released. CBSE board exams 2021 results will be announced on July 15.
Soon after releasing the datesheet various states had announced reopening of schools and colleges. As the course for Classes 10 and 12 CBSE exams have been reduced by 30 percent, state boards are also reducing their respective courses.
Read More: ‘Not Prepared For Offline Exams’, Say CBSE Students Of Classes 9, 11
COVID-19 preparedness
The Health Ministry had issued COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for reopening schools and colleges. Various states also issued their own health guidelines for educational institutes.
Gujarat has issued COVID-19 guidelines for schools and colleges and allowed students Classes 10 and 12 to attend physical sessions after seeking written permission from parents. Arunachal Pradesh has not reopened hostels to avoid any spurge in cases. Various states including Kerala and Karnataka are allowing students to attend classes in a staggered manner with 50 percent of the students called alternatively.
The classroom seating has been changed to ensure social distancing and have been sanitised before resuming the sessions.
As per a survey, only 26 percent of 19,000 parents across the country were interested in sending their kids to school if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Read More: CBSE Students Run A Petition Seeking Cancellation Of Upcoming Board Exams
Rajasthan
It had reopened its schools for Classes 10 and 12 last year in December itself with 50 percent students called on alternate days and the rest of the school reopened on January 1.It has not declared dates for state board exams.
Rajasthan will open its regular colleges from January 18 while medical colleges and universities were reopened on January 11.
West Bengal
West Bengal will hold Class 10 Board exams from June 1 to June 10 and Class 12 Board exams from June 15 to June 30 while it has given automatic promotion for Classes 6 to 9. It is yet to take a call on resume offline classes for schools and colleges.
Karnataka
It partially reopened its schools and all the pre-university colleges from January 1. Karnataka state board exams will be from May onward. The second year pre-university (Class-12) exams would begin in the second week of May and the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC-Class 10) in the first week of June.
Uttar Pradesh
It had reopened their schools for Classes 10 and 12 last year in December itself after preparing as per the COVID-10 protocol. Uttar Pradesh state board conducted registration for board exams till January 5 while the date sheet is still awaited.
Assam
It partially reopened its schools from January 1 onward. Assam Class 10 HSLC exams and Class 12 HS exams will begin on May 11 and May 12 respectively.
Odisha
Odisha reopened its schools for Classes 10 and 12 on January 8 and ensured 100 days of classes before the board exams. Odisha state board will hold practical exams for Class 10 students from April 27 to May 2 and for Class 12 students from April 29 to May 14 and theory exams from May 3 to June 11.
Read More: COVID-19 And Schools, Colleges Closures In Year 2020
Bihar
Bihar reopened schools for Classes 10 and 12 from January 1 onward and for Classes 9 and 11 from January 4 onward. Bihar has postponed board exams till February 1 and the last exam has been scheduled for February 13.
Jharkhand
Jharkhand reopened its schools for Classes 9 to 12 last year in December and will hold the board exams from March 9 to March 26.
Goa
Goa reopened its schools for Classes 10 and 12 from on November 21 with COVID-19 protocols . Goa state board exams will be from April 24.The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) had already announced that 30 percent of the syllabus would be reduced for the current academic year.
Punjab
It reopened its schools and universities in December for physical classes along with Haryana.
Kerala
It reopened its schools for only Classes 10 and 12 from January 4 onward for a limited number of hours each day.
Various other states reopened their schools from January 4 including Pune schools managed by the Pune Municipal Corporation, Nashik schools from Classes 9 to 11 and Puducherry schools for only half-a-day from 10 am to 1 pm while the full-day schedule is likely to resume from January 18.
Several states including Delhi and Maharashtra have still not issued any guidelines over reopening of schools. However, Mumbai has clarified that it will not be reopening educational institutes before January 15.
