With the Karnataka government deciding to go ahead with the SSLC exams across the state, Suresh Kumar S, the state's Primary and Secondary Education Minister has announced to go ahead with the Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) method in this year's board exams. At the same time, all students will be promoted to the next grade. He said, "After discussing with the health department and keeping the students' safety factor in mind, we have decided to go ahead with the MCQ method for board exams. The exams will be held in the last week of July and dates will be announced 20 days before the exams begin."
Explaining why the exams aren't cancelled, he said, "Having cancelled the class IX final exams in the last academic year, we don't have any option to judge the capability of the SSLC students. In the case of CBSE board exams, the students have exams once in three months and they are checked periodically on their writing and learning abilities. However, such a system doesn't exist in the Karnataka board. We are thinking to implement it for the coming academic year." But what if a student is COVID positive or is quarantining? The minister said that such students will be allowed to write a fresh exam and will not be considered repeaters,
Since conducting exams separately for different subjects will take more time, this year, the SSLC board have decided to combine different subjects and conduct exams only for two days. Kumar said, "Exams will be held for two days. While Science, Social -Science and Mathematics will have one paper for a total of 120 marks, English, Kannada, Hindi or other respective first and second languages will have another combined paper for 120 marks. Each subject will have 40 marks-worth questions and they will be direct and easy."
With a view to preparing students and show them the MCQ model, the DDPI offices in respective districts are conducting online exams. They have already completed four such online exams for different subjects. The minister also said that the government will release a model question paper for SSLC students by the end of June 2021.
Regarding the safety measures and exam centres, Kumar said, "Last year, we had arranged more than 3000 exam centres for over eight lakh SSLC students. This year, we will be arranging exams in more than 6000 centres across the state. Students who have moved to their house from hostels will write the exams in their nearest exam centres instead of travelling to the city or the districts they are studying in Only 12 students will be allocated to sit in each classroom and one student will be allocated at one desk."
Besides the seating arrangements, the state government is planning to provide N-95 masks to all the students who will be attending exams this year. At the same time, invigilators have to be vaccinated mandatorily for COVID-19.
