E-exams only option if schools stay shut

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20

Online examinations could be an alternative if schools are not opened as the Education Department has successfully conducted an online internal assessment of students of Class VI to XII.

The internal assessment was done by sending question papers online. Students took the exam at home, clicked the photographs of the answer sheet, converted it into a “pdf” file and sent it to teachers.

The online assessment, which concluded last week, evoked a good response and over 90 per cent students appeared in the online assessment, said Director, Higher Education, Amarjeet Sharma.

Starting regular classes for Class X and XII students were under consideration of the government as maintaining social distancing was no problem, keeping in view the fact that there were less than 40 students in a class in 90 per cent schools, he said, adding that the final decision to send their children would be taken by the parents.

There would be sufficient space as the students of only two classes would come to the school. "We will go by the MHA directions and if the decision is left on the state, we are ready with alternative proposals for conducting examinations," Sharma maintained.

The fresh guidelines have given option to states to call 50 per cent teachers and non-teaching staff and instructions regarding starting regular classes in schools and colleges are awaited.

The academic session of the winter-closing schools, that started in mid-February, has suffered as there have been no regular classes for the past six months. The situation in summer-closing schools is a little better because the session starts from mid-April and the monsoon vacations were merged with the lockdown.

A major constraint in opening the schools is that 68 per cent parents are against the opening of the schools. However, the chances of resuming primary classes are bleak this year and possibility of promoting students (till Class V) to the next class without examination cannot be ruled out.