Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (SD)

Panaji, Mar 17: With various measures taken up by the government to battle the continuous rise of coronavirus cases, some schools in Goa have decided to cancel the final exams from Class 1 to Class 8 and evaluate based on their cumulative performance throughout the year. However, the exams scheduled for students appearing for Class 9 will remain the same. To ensure the safety of the students, parents of other institutes have demanded the cancellation of exams. The headmistress of Mapusa Saraswat Vidyalaya has issued a notice stating, 'Parents of students from Class 1 to Class 8 are informed that there will be no final exams for their wards.'

Chief minister Pramod Sawant, in a meeting last week announced the closure of all educational institutions till March 31, while the exams to be conducted as scheduled. Responding to these, the parents took out to social media appealing the government to cancel examinations of Classes 1-8 as there is no fail policy in force according to the Right to Education Act for the above classes. The final exams for these classes are not very crucial as board exams and evaluation can be made based on the continuous comprehensive examinations, and children up to Class 5 are vulnerable, points out a parent of a student of Dona Paula School.

Some schools have responded positively to the parents' concern over the growing cases of coronavirus and have decided to cancel the examinations, while others holding on to Sawant’s instruction are yet to call off the examinations.

The examinations for non-board appearing classes have concluded in most of the states. The state board exams are at stake with the ongoing fear of coronavirus.