Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Nov 9: More than 72,000 students today appeared in 12th standard annual examination in Kashmir with strict adherence to COVID-19 SOPs.
According to official data, around 72000 students have enrolled for the exam, for which the Jammu and Kashmir Board has established 736 examination centres in government and private schools throughout Kashmir. “The examination went off without a problem across the Valley, and no unpleasant incident was reported. Thousands of students wrote various papers in different streams at more than 736 examination centres across Kashmir,” Aijaz Haqaq, JKBOSE’s Joint Secretary Examinations told Excelsior.
The exam was conducted by the J&K State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) in strict accordance with COVID-19 regulations, and students were required to wear masks and maintain social distance. Although exams began at 12 p.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m., students arrived half an hour early at their respective centres. “The regular time for the paper is three hours, but because the syllabus has been cut by 30%, the time has been reduced as well,” Haqaq said.
The heads of the institutions have been urged to ensure heating and lighting arrangements for the students. ”In the examination centres, all of the COVID 19 guidelines were followed, and the students also assisted the staff in following the SOPs,” Joint Secretary Examination said, adding that they had instructed all examination centres to set up suitable heating arrangements as the temperature has dropped due to the dip in temperature
Students who arrived at the centres were allowed to enter after their temperatures were taken, and no one was allowed to enter without wearing a facemask. “We made masks and sanitisers available at all exam centres, and students were given them if they required,” an official said.
The state executive committee of the J&K Department of Disaster Management has previously stated that children taking their annual exams in class 10th and 12th should bring their parents’ consent with them on each day of their exams.
With the increase in COVID 19 cases, some students were concerned about not making separate arrangements for students from containment zones. “I believe that by allowing these students to sit in exams with other students, the authorities are exposing other students to the infection. They should have their exams in separate rooms,” a student said.
In Srinagar, some localities have been designated as Micro-containment zones due to the increasing number of COVID cases.
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