The Executive Director and Council of the Secretary for School Certification Examinations of India (CISCE) has written to all Chief Ministers to allow schools to partially reopen from January especially for students in classes 10 and 12 who will stand for board examinations.
The council has also written to the Chief Elections Commissioner of India to share the election calendar of the states where elections are to be held in April and May so that the date sheet for the board examinations can be finalized accordingly.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all schools have been closed from March 2020 to date. However, despite the closure, most of our schools have continued the process of teaching and learning online, offline, or blended, as indicated by a survey conducted by CISCE on the state of online teaching, the assessment and completion of the curriculum, ”he said. Gerry Arathoon, CEO of CISCE.
“For the period leading up to the exams, CISCE has asked the chief ministers of all state governments and UT to allow the partial reopening of schools, specifically for students in classes 10 and 12 as of January 2021.” said.
“With students physically attending school, this time will be used for practical work, project work, SUPW work, and lessons to clear up questions. This will be extremely beneficial for students who will now have time to interact directly with their teachers, ”he added.
Arathoon asserted that if allowed to reopen, schools will be advised to follow state government directives regarding COVID-19 and adhere to safety guidelines and Health Department Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. . .
“CISCE has also requested the Chief Elections Commissioner of India to share the dates of the elections of the states that must have their elections in the months of April to May next year,” he said.
“This will allow CISCE to finalize the schedules of the ICSE (Class 10) and ISC (Class 12) exams in 2021 and guarantee that there are no conflicts of dates, interruptions of the exams or any inconvenience that the candidates who take these exams may face” added.
Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of COVID-19 and partially reopened in some states as of October 15. However, some states decided to keep them closed in light of an increase in infections.
The board had to cancel its pending examinations in March due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and the result was declared based on an alternative evaluation scheme.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) must also make a decision on the timing of the board exams next year. However, the board has ruled out conducting exams online and clarified that board exams will be conducted in pencil and paper mode only.
.
