Despite the surge in number of COVID-19 cases in the State, 98.3% of the total 7.85 lakh SSLC students who registered for second language English and Kannada examinations, appeared for the papers on Thursday.
Last year, the attendance for the same papers was 98.7%, marginally higher than this year’s turnout.
Students had to undergo thermal screening and a health check-up before entering the examination hall. In many schools, the staff had demarcated the distance between students and asked them to sanitise their hands.
During the health screening, 201 students were found to have cold, cough, fever or other symptoms. These students were given N95 masks and made to sit in another classroom and write the exam. As many as 998 students came from containment zones and these students too had to write the examination in a separate room.
Speaking at a press conference after the examination on Thursday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar said that 12,548 students out of the 12,644 who had changed their examination centres as they were in their native places appeared for the examination. As many as 1,438 students who were staying at residential facilities also appeared for the examination.
The Minister also said that 13 students were unable to appear for the examination as they tested positive.
In some examination centres, however, there were complaints that the parents were not maintaining physical distance outside the examination centres. “We even got complaints that after the students finished the examination, they rushed outside and mingled with each other. We have told our staff to instruct them to go home immediately after the next examination,” said a senior official of the department.
Meanwhile, students said that they found the paper to be easy. “I was not anxious as we got three additional months for preparation as our exams were scheduled in March. I was only concerned about maintaining distance between my classmates and once I sat in the exam hall, my fear disappeared,” said Suraj S., a class 10 student who took the test.
Rajashekar S., a parent who was seen outside his daughter’s examination hall in Basaveshwarnagar, said: “I came to drop my daughter as I did not want her to use public transport. I was very reluctant about sending her for the exam, but now that it has begun, we hope it will be a smooth affair.”
Reason for absence
Students who were absent for the SSLC examination should provide reasons as to why they could not appear.
The Primary and Secondary Education Minister said that the reasons would be verified by the officers of the department. “If their reasons are genuine, we will allow them to appear for the supplementary examination as fresh candidates,” he said.
