GUWAHATI: The Assam government on June 18, informed that board exams for classes 10 and 12 stand cancelled in the state.
The Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said that there will be no board exams for classes 10 and 12, post a meeting at the Finance Block Conference Hall at the Janata Bhawan in Guwahati. Pegu had previously stated that the exams will be held by August 15 of this year.
On June 8, a similar meeting with stakeholders including the Asom Sahitya Sabha, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), All Bodo Students Union, and senior officials from the Education and District Administration had commenced. Following the meeting, it was decided that the board exams will be held by August 15 and the results will be declared by September 5.
Meanwhile, the Assam Cabinet had expressed caution regarding holding exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta voiced his agreement with the concerns.
Previously, there was a state-wide virtual agitation against the state government’s decision of board exams. Aggrieved parents filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court with an interim application (IA) solely dedicated to the Assam board exams 2021. The second hearing for the matter is scheduled for June 21, where the Assam government has been asked to respond to the writ petition and the IA.
As per sources inside the education department, the biggest factor for the decision to scrap the board exams came from the presentation made by the health department on the issue of COVID-19 positivity rate among children from 11 to 18 years. This was acknowledged by the Assam Education Minister during the Janata Bhawan meeting on June 18.
The agenda of the June 8 meeting was to decide on different ways to hold the exams but on June 18, it was about alternatives for board exams. One of the alternatives, which were recommended, was the internal assessment based on records. To formulate the recommendations, two committees will be set up for class 10 and class 12 respectively, Dr Ranoj Pegu informed.
The AASU and the ABSU had earlier suggested ways to hold the exams including the three subject formula. The sudden decision to scrap the exams has taken them by surprise although they supported it citing "student safety".
The student unions have now shifted their narrative from three subject formula to time-bound implementation of the recommendations discussed on June 18, including the formation of a committee by reputed apolitical educators within a day, by June 19.