Nearly 99% students appear for class 10 exams in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Encouraged, perhaps, by the 95% turnout of students for their Class 12 exams on Monday, an even higher, nearly 99% students appeared for their Class 10 boards across the Valley on Tuesday.

J&K Board of School Education chairman Zahoor Ahmad Chatt told TOI that out of a total of 56,277 Class 10 students, 55,500 (or 98.61%) students took their exams in 558 centres. Oonly 777 students failed to turn up.

Besides some students, mainstream opposition parties had sought deferment of the board exams until the students completed their syllabus. Hardline separatists had called for attacks on schools in preceding weeks and months, to deprive thousands of Kashmiri students of their right to education.

Large contingents of security forces were deployed in and around the centres to ensure exams were conducted smoothly. "At many places in south Kashmir, the security was strengthened after yesterday's stonepelting near a centre," a police officer said.

Students seemed happy with the board announcing a reduction in the syllabus and said it helped them prepare for their papers on Tuesday. "We hadn't completed our syllabus due to unrest. But the board relaxed syllabus that helped us a lot," said Asif Shah, a student of Burnhall school.

The Class 10 and 12 board exams will continue till December 3.