No exams without vaccine- New Delhi: Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday urged the Center to hold a high-level meeting by next month to discuss school exams and competitions scheduled for next year, saying it counts given the current situation resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, governments must “start preparing early”
In a letter to the Union Ministry of Education, Sisodia reiterated the Delhi Government’s position that the Central Board of Secondary Education exams for grade 12 should not be held until all students and teachers are not vaccinated.
“I ask the Center to hold a high-level meeting within a month to discuss the reviews scheduled for 2022. Bearing in mind all aspects of the situation, we should start preparations now,” wrote Sisodia.
Sisodia, which also holds the education portfolio, said if students and teachers cannot be vaccinated, exams should be removed immediately. He suggested that students could be assessed on the basis of their performance on class 10, 11 and 12 exams (internal tests).
“If the vaccination option is not currently feasible, we recommend that the board reviews this year be discontinued. Students in class 12 have spent at least 12 years in our schools. Students should be assessed on their previous performance in Class 10 jury results, Class 11 scores and Class 12 internal tests, and get their results immediately, ”Sisodia wrote, adding that those who wish sit for board exams can do so. when the situation is right.
The Center had hosted a digital meeting of state education ministers and secretaries on Sunday to decide on the 12 class board exams and subsequent entrance exams which were postponed from March to April in due to the second wave of Covid-19 across the country. The meeting was chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by three Union ministers, including Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
No exams without vaccine- The Center has made two proposals to States on conducting examinations only in core subjects – either on a regular basis at designated centers or as a multiple-choice examination of the multiple-choice question type of shorter duration and in schools where students are enrolled. He asked states to submit their suggestions by Tuesday.
On Tuesday, at least a dozen states said on Tuesday that they preferred the second option to hold the exams. Among them were Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi and Punjab also preferred the second option, but said exams should only be held after all teachers and students have been vaccinated.
Pointing out that India is still reporting nearly 250,000 cases of Covid-19 every day and apprehensions of an impending third wave, Sisodia wrote: “Neither of the two options offered by the Union Ministry of Education is is the answer to the challenge ahead. we. Not only will students be at risk in both options, the choices will ignore their sanity as well. “
“We believe that without vaccination, children should not be called for any exams. After vaccination, the Ministry of Education should conduct examinations in accordance with option B, ”he wrote.
No exams without vaccine- Sisodia also suggested that the Center talk with health experts and see if vaccines for the 18-45 age group can be given to students in grade 12, most of whom are around 17.5 years old. . “If health experts agree, then these students, who make up about 95% of students in class 12, can be vaccinated as a priority,” he wrote.
“The Center should immediately speak to Pfizer and purchase approved vaccines for children over 12,” he wrote, adding that while the Center and state governments worked together, teachers and students of Class 12 across India would be vaccinated within three to four weeks.
Most schools in Delhi said on Monday that they wanted the exams canceled and would choose the option with multiple-choice questions, if the government decided to go ahead with the organization of the board exams. ‘administration.
Madhulika Sen, senior advisor at the Tagore International School, said neither parents nor teachers were in favor of holding exams. “Maybe the government is considering organizing physical exams given the drop in cases. But what about the third wave or the increase in black fungus cases? We don’t know what the situation will be in July, ”she told HT on Monday.
On Sunday, after the meeting with ministers of state, Nishank tweeted: “I would like to reiterate that the safety, security and future of students and teachers are extremely important to us.”
