Students and parents ain Mizoram have raised safety concern after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the revised date sheet for the remaining Class X and XII board exams.
They have also demanded that special arrangement be made to enable the candidate to write their pending exams in two exam centres in Aizawl.
They said that the risk is too high as many reports suggest that July could see a peak in Coronvairus case in the country.
“How can we take a risk to send our children to hotspot areas and red zone cities in this unprecedented time of global pandemic?” said R Zothannguri while speaking to Northeast Now.
Zothannguri’s son Daniel Lalruarfela is a Class XII student who is studying at Grace Academy in Uttarakhand in Dehradun.
“Our children will not only be exposed to the virus but will also suffer physical and mental stress which will adversely affect their performance,” she said.
She said that they were restless at the thought of their children taking a long journey to write their exams outside the state amid global pandemic.
Zothannguri, who is a dermatologist at Civil hospital in Aizawl, said the CBSE should allow the students to apply for a change of an examination centre from one city to another with subject to the approval of board chairman in case of transfer or migration of parents as per its existing norms and the HRD ministry also allowed the candidates to appear at the schools where they are enrolled instead of an external test centre.
“If a change of centre is allowed in such case, we demand the Centre or board to allow our children appear for the exams in our city (Aizawl) as the global pandemic is a more serious issue, which involves life and economy,” she said.
She further informed that on Thursday they called on state chief secretary Lalnunmawia Pachuau, who assured them of all possible help to ensure that the students write their exams in the state.
Another parent, Zothanpuii Khiangte also raised the issue of accommodation and safety.
She said that their children would be inconvenienced as regard to accommodation because all schools were closed since nationwide lockdown.
“Travelling long distance back to hotspot areas is dangerous and completely unsafe even if the mode of transportation is available and it would be more a problem if they are to be put under quarantine,” she said.
According to Khiangte, about 50 students have returned to the state from various cities- New Delhi, Kolkata, Dehradun, Guwahati and Shillong, among others, in early March due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Hmingchungnungi and Lalrinzuali Chenkual, both class 12 students of Asian School in Dehradun, said their utmost concern was “safety” amid global pandemic.
With other students, they wished the Centre allow them to write their exams in two CBSE schools or centres- Kendra Vidyala School and Mizoram Institute of Comprehensive Education (MICE) in Aizawl.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which operates under the HRD ministry, on Monday issued the revised date sheet for the remaining class 10th and 12th board exams to be conducted for remaining 29 papers from July 1 to July 15.
The Union Ministry also allowed students to appear for the exams at their own schools instead of external centres to ensure minimum travel for them.