The half yearly examinations for all classes under the State board are scheduled to begin on January 11 and end on January 27. On Friday, the School Education department released the schedule for Class X and XII examinations, which include English Paper II for Class XII on January 14.
Following the announcement, activists, parents and teachers in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts expressed apprehensions that having the examinations would still put undue stress on students.
The Tamilnadu Students-Parents Welfare Association has sent a petition to the Chief Minister’s Cell, asking that the half-yearly examinations be dispensed with, especially for the younger classes.
“The floods have led to loss of books and documents for both students and schools. In this situation, holding the examinations will mean that parents, teachers and students will be pressured unnecessarily,” S. Arumainathan, president of the Association, said.
According to L. Sandhya, whose daughter is studying in Class V at a popular school in Anna Nagar, the stress of examinations had made the school conduct two extra hours of class every day, and also hold classes on Saturday.
“By the time my daughter comes home, she is so tired that she falls asleep without eating. If the schools call off the examination for the lower classes at least, it will ease the stress on the children,” she said.
“Except for those in the four districts affected by the floods, schools in the State have been functioning. The State can consider dropping the exams for the four districts alone,” said K. R. Nandakumar, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary Matriculation Higher Secondary Schools Association.
The association is planning to meet education officials to ensure that no examinations were held on January 14, which would mark the start of Pongal.
Teachers and parents affected by floods urge CM to drop the exams
