The Karnataka Board held the first day of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC), or Class 10th exam today. Over 8 lakh students are eligible to write the exam which is spread over two days this week, the first concluded today and the next is scheduled to be held on July 22.
Core subject exams for papers including Science, Maths and Social Science was held today, while on July 22, exam for languages will take place. The duration of the SSLC exam will be three hours.
Assuring the parents of the children's safety, the Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa, on Sunday in a social media post said: “My best wishes to all the students appearing for SSLC exams tomorrow. I urge my young friends to relax and focus on exams. I assure parents that our government has made all arrangements to ensure exams are held safely.”
The government had cancelled the Karnataka board 12th standard PUC exams citing Covid and there had been calls for the cancellation of the SSLC exams too. However, the state government, which held these exams last year too amid the pandemic, was determined to go ahead with the exams.
This year there are even fewer students per classroom, a greater number of exam centres - and the exams themselves are multiple-choice.
While visiting an exam centre this morning in South Bengaluru, Education Minister, Suresh Kumar told reporters: “Last time we had the experience of conducting the examination on all the six days. The positivity rate then was 13.5 per cent. Today it is around 1.3 per cent. We have an SOP given by our health department, our technical advisory committee and approved by the High Court of Karnataka.”
Karnataka SSLC Exams Amid Covid
The Education Minister also detailed some of the changes that have been made in the SSLC exams this year. “This time we have increased the number of examination centres, examination halls. Over one lakh personnel are overseeing the exams - all vaccinated. I assure the parents they need not worry about these examinations which are actually safety centres for all their children,” he said.
The state had said the exams were needed, despite other states calling of equivalent exams, as state students had not faced an exam at the end of the 9th standard, so there was no basis to assess them. “Now they have to choose their stream - Science, Commerce, Arts,” the minister said. “They should know which stream will be better for them. That is why we are forced to hold this examination but in a very, very safe manner.”
Around 34 Covid positive students have been allowed to write the exam in the nearest Covid Care Centre. Two isolation rooms have also been reserved at each exam centre for any student with Covid symptoms like fever, cough or cold.
One student heading into the exam hall told NDTV: “They have said the exam will be very easy. Let us see.”
Mamatha, who had come to drop off her son said: “The exam pattern is very easy now. The only thing - they need to maintain hygiene. Actually, they should have cancelled the exam - but we'll see.”
A father, Ashwath, said: “It is dangerous but the government has done this so we need to accept it. We can't oppose the government. It is a challenge for the government and us.”
While another mother said: “It is a mixture of fear and happiness. My son is going to achieve something. The children do need to take a bit of risk and write the exam. But all the facilities are there. Sanitisers, masks, separate rows for the children. I think it can be done.”
