Holding exams will put students’ lives at risk

Govt. should not be so insistent, says Telugu Mahila leader

June 17, 2021 11:30 pm | Updated 11:30 pm IST - VISAKHAPATNAM

Telugu Mahila State president V. Anita has described the insistence of Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government on holding SSC and Intermediate examinations as a ‘foolish measure’ that can endanger the lives of students.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Ms. Anita sought to know whether the YSRCP government could guarantee that there was no risk to the lives of students or at least give an assurance on payment of ex gratia to their families, if anything happened to them. She recalled that 200 students were affected by COVID-19 last year at a private college in Rajamahendravaram and some students were also affected at Andhra University.

Explaining that several government employees, teachers and parents had died due to COVID, she wondered whether any of them were paid compensation by the government. She alleged that the government was bent on going ahead with the examinations in order to rebuff the suggestion made by TDP national general secretary N. Lokesh to cancel them in view of the situation.

“Around 13 lakh students are expected take the SSC and Intermediate exams. The exam process has to begin at least two to three months in advance. The announcement by the State government that the examinations would be held towards the end of July with results being declared in September will delay the academic calendar and disrupt the next academic year,” she said.

Scientists are warning of an impending third wave and it is not yet known if vaccines can be given to children, Ms. Anita said, alleging that the State government, which had failed to control the COVID outbreak in the State, was trying to portray that everything was normal by going ahead with the exams.

She said that the Chief Minister himself was not moving out of his residence and holding video-conferences and remote launches of development works fearing the virus, but the government wants children to risk their lives by travelling in buses and auto-rickshaws and gather in large numbers at exam centres.

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