Beyond postponing class 12 examinations

The decision to postpone the Class 12 board examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and to cancel the Class 10 board examination is the right one, in the given circumstance. It would minimise the disruption for students.

Postponing the school-leaving examination — a decision will be taken in June by which time experts expect the current wave to have peaked — will mean that students do not lose out on an academic year. While Class 10 students will have the option of a physical examination if they are not satisfied with the evaluation results. The decision is the best option available given the rise in Covid-19 cases. But it does once again expose the lack of planning by state governments to put in place a system that can address the concerns that have arisen due to the pandemic. School education is a state subject, and over the year, state governments should have, in partnership with the ministry of education and CBSE, put in place alternative systems for students to continue their education and be evaluated. Minimising disruption for students is critical. Demands to cancel exams or keeps schools shut reflect expedience rather than necessity. With the pressure of school-leaving examinations out of the way, administrations must focus on delivering lessons and evaluating student performance remotely.

Use funds from the Universal Service Obligation Fund to strengthen 4G connectivity in those parts where the signal is still bad. Make use of satellite broadband for remote areas. Devise open-book exam modules that cheat would-be cheaters. Let teachers and school staff be next in line for vaccines, so that schools can be reopened relatively early. Let not a virus hold the education of an entire generation hostage.