Proposal to conduct exams in March evokes mixed response
Srinagar, Apr 10: While the government is mulling conducting annual exams up to the higher secondary level in the month of March instead of in October-November, various stakeholders including teachers, students and parents are divided in their response to the proposed move.
Those who are opposed to the idea say months of March to April will be lost to the exams, and that there is also no time bound result system in place.
“If exams are conducted in the month of March, then results won’t be out before May as there is no efficient system of declaring results on time here. This means the new academic session will begin by May-end. In December schools have be to closed anyhow due to severe cold until upto March. So by way of this system, we will be losing five months a year to winter break and conduct of exams,” said a senior teacher Mohammed Rafiq Rather.
“I am also skeptical about the conduct of exams in the month of March, as the weather during the month is not appropriate; it has failed in past too,” he added.
A teacher Farooq Ahmed Lone said, “Owing to the peculiar weather conditions here, the idea of conducting exams in the month of March suited to Kashmir. Shifting exams to March will mean that the students will get winter months as preparation time for the exams. In October-November here, it is very cold and weather is no way suited for conducting exams.”
Another teacher Khurshid Alam terming the decision healthy said, “It will have long-term benefits for all — both students and teachers. The students would be in schools for maximum time and we will have more working days which in turn would lessen the burden of tuitions for the students.”
He also added that the decision would put our schooling and exam schedules in sync with other states of the country.
Hafeeza Bano, a senior teacher said that March session is “not workable in Kashmir valley” given the weather conditions and other socio-political factors here.
“March session has never worked, nor helped the student community in any way. Government itself was compelled to switch to Oct-Nov session. Secondly, winter time never gets waste especially after the government has started winter coaching centers under CM’s Super 50 programme, and winter tuition in government schools,” she maintained.
“Is it possible for the BOSE to conduct the exam and announce the result in a single month of March?” asked another teacher Mohammed Rafiq.
Pertinently, the government is mulling to change the calendar for examination session of primary to higher secondary classes from November to March and also reduce holidays in the education department.
Sources said that the department has decided to go ahead with the change in the calendar after holding hectic deliberations on the issue. A final decision is expected next week.
The issue was also discussed with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who too is learnt to have agreed on it.
The new academic session of colleges outside state begins from July, and under the current schooling schedule here, the students from J&K who aspire to pursue professional courses outside the state have to wait till July despite appearing in their Class 10 or 12 exams in November, a senior officer pointed out.
The shifting of exam session to March can help curb the “menace of private coaching in lower classes,” he said.
