2021 Board exams for classes X, XI, XII likely to defer: Sources

The government had announced that schools will be reopened for students of classes 9-12. Similarly, colleges and other educational institutions were also to be re-opened for this academic year. But after strong agitation across all quarters, the government had proposed a consultative meeting with the concerned parents, school authorities and the students themselves.

Accordingly, reports said that only 45pc of the parents took part in the meeting and that the authorities are still waiting for the response of the others who failed to attend the discussion. Meanwhile, the Minister of School Education, K Sengottaiyan had said that the decision of reopening the schools is still pending with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and that he will decide on it after due consideration from the suggestion of the parents' responses. "The announcement of the same can be expected tomorrow," he further added.

Meanwhile, inside sources revealed that the School Education Department is considering to postpone the upcoming board exams for the classes X, XI and XII, considering various factors like the pandemic situation, virtual classrooms and stressful environment. It was also said that the lower classes are likely to be promoted without exams.

Also, the Education Minister said that after the significant announcement of  7.5 per cent reservation to government school students who have cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test in admission to medical courses, there is a significant increase in the Government schools' admission rate as compared with the previous years.

Further, in one of the PIL filed in the Madurai bench of High Court, the court has also suggested the State Government to postpone the schools reopening until December month.