Kerala to continue SSLC, Plus Two exams despite COVID-19 surge
Despite concerns overincreasing COVID-19 cases, the Kerala government on Mondaydecided to proceed with the ongoing SSLC and Plus Twoexaminations in the state, adhering to strict health protocoland intense precautionary measures.
The general education department here said the examswould be conducted as per the original schedule and adequateprecautionary measures have already been taken to ensure thesafety of students, teachers and other staff.
Steps have already been taken to ensure studentsfollow social distancing while writing exams, the Director ofGeneral Education ((DPI) said here in a statement.
Teachers, non-teaching staff and students were advisedto use triple-layer masks, it said, adding that chief examsuperintendents were directed to ensure entry of students inthe school compound only after checking their bodytemperature.
Arrangements have been made at the school level forstudents, who are COVID positive, those under quarantine andalso those having high body temperature, to write exams, itsaid.
Handwash and sanitisers have been made available forstudents, teachers, and other staff.
Monitoring teams, set up at the state and revenueand education district levels, are examining the COVIDprotocol being implemented in each school in connection withthe conduct of exams and giving suggestions to the chief examsuperitendents, the statement added.
The annual Secondary School Leaving Certificate andHigher Secondary Certificate (HSC)exams began in Kerala onApril 8. The SSLC exams were scheduled to be held till April29 while the plus two exams were decided to be conducted tillApril 26.
Nearly nine lakh students are appearing for theexams in over 4,951 centres.
The state had sought postponement of the SSLC and HSCexaminations, which were to commence from March 17, asteachers had been put on poll duty and classrooms were to beused for polling purposes.
Last year, the board exams were affected due to thepandemic, and several papers were conducted later in May andthe results were released in June.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
