Class 5, 8 board exams not to be held in respective schools

In a surprise move by the Tamil Nadu government, Class 5 and 8 students about to write the board exams for the first time, will not be allowed to do so from their respective schools even as Class 10, 11 and 12 students are set to appear for annual exams from their respective institutions.

Amid this confusion, the State government decided to go ahead and conduct Class 5 and 8 board exams from this academic year. The Directorate of Elementary Education had come out with new guidelines for the exams in line with the Centre’s New Education Policy (NEP). Accordingly, the board exam schedule was also released last November.

The examination committee, led by the District Chief Education Officer comprising members including those from Teacher’s Training Board, headmasters and academicians, started preparations to conduct exams for both the standards this April. Despite several request from parents, the School Education Department went ahead with its decision of not conducting the exams in respective schools. Likewise, Class 5 students will have exam centres within a kilometre from their residence. For Class 8 students, centres will be within 3 kms from their residence.

A senior Tamil Nadu Directorate of Examinations official told DT Next that the decision of not conducting exams in respective schools came against the backdrop of several suggestions that there would be possibility of teachers helping the children during exam time since most institutions have not taken the exam announcement seriously.

However, academicians, opposed to the government's decision to conduct board exams for Classes 5 and 8, said exams being held in other centres will make it more stressful for the students.

Urging the State government to conduct exams in respective schools, Tamil Nadu Teachers Association President PK Ilamaran said, "Holding board exams itself is a form of putting stress on students of the particular age group. Shifting the venue will only add to the stress."