Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday announced that the written exams of the state board’s Class XII will be held from April 23 to May 29, and of Class X from April 29 to May 31.

The exams are usually held in February and March every year. However, these were rescheduled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are trying to declare the results of classes XII and X by July-end and August-end, respectively,” Gaikwad told media persons. The practical exams for Class XII will be held between April 1 and 22, and for Class X between April 9 and 28, she added.

While the state education department did not release any stand operating procedure for conducting the exams, it said that all COVID-19 precautions, like wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing, will have to be followed.

Barring Mumbai and Thane, schools in other parts of the state have reopened for students of classes IX to XII on November 23, 2020. Last week, the department had announced that classes V to VIII can begin offline classes from January 27.

However, the BMC, in a circular issued last Friday, had said schools in Mumbai will remain closed until further orders and only board exams can be conducted.

As schools in Mumbai remain closed for physical classes, teachers have expressed concern about Class X students who are set to appear for their board exams. While most schools have conducted unit tests and semester exams online this year, schools were awaiting guidelines on the conduct of board prelims.

The government on Thursday said that conducting prelims in classrooms will be decided by the local authorities and individual schools.

“The state has already reduced the syllabus by 25 per cent, which will not burden the students,” said Gaikwad.

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On reopening schools in Mumbai, she said, “We are diligently following the matter with the municipal commissioner. We hope the schools will reopen for physical classes soon.”

“Only examinations that are prescribed by the board will be permitted in Mumbai schools. If the board declares that schools can conduct prelims and lays down guidelines for the same, we will allow them with necessary precautions,” said an official from BMC’s education department.

According to department data, over 21,000 schools have reopened since November 23, 2020, across the state.