Hailing the students appearing for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination, S. Suresh Kumar, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, said they were a “model even for adults” as they were following all the COVID-19 precautions such as social distancing and wearing masks inside and outside the exam centres.
Addressing reporters on Monday, he urged the parents of students to cooperate with the Education Department and follow social distancing outside the exam centres.
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On Monday, more than seven lakh students appeared for the science, music and political science SSLC papers in 2,871 centres across the State. Of the 7.91 lakh students enrolled for the exam — 7.9 lakh for science, 419 for political science, and two for music — 7.74 lakh appeared, taking the attendance to 97.93%. Last academic year, the attendance was 98.68%.
Special arrangements were made for 491 students, who had illnesses other than COVID-19. However, the students who have tested positive for COVID-19 and those under home quarantine will have to appear for the supplementary exam.
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A total of 3,215 buses and private vehicles were arranged to bring the students to the different exam centres, the Minister said. Citing examples, he said that in Belagavi, transport was arranged to bring 320 private students to an exam centre. Similarly, at Chipageri village in Sirsi, transport was arranged for 19 students who used to be dropped to the exam centres by their relatives.
Of the 645 students from neighbouring States, 592 appeared for the exam. A total of 12,644 students belonging to families of migrant workers had enrolled, of whom 12,539 sat for the exam.
Public health expert M.K. Sudarshan, who heads the COVID-19 expert committee, said enough care was taken to implement the SOP and other recommendations issued to the department by the committee. “The only thing we have suggested is to ensure that the students’ bags are arranged at a distance from one another and not kept together outside the exam halls,” he said. He added that a report would be submitted to the government after the exam concludes.
Earlier, after an exam supervisor developed symptoms of something yet to be confirmed as COVID-19 at Navanagar in Bagalkot district, the department relieved all the other staff deputed there. The centre was sanitised and other staff posted on exam duty, the Minister said.