‘Defer Class 5 and 8 scholarship exam’

MUMBAI: As Covid-19 infections in Maharashtra continue to remain high, schools and parents have urged the state education department to either postpone or cancel the Class 5 and Class 8 scholarship examination, scheduled to be held on May 23.

Over the past few days, there have been several demands to cancel the exam considering the risks involved in conducting them offline. However, a circular issued by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination on May 5, which had asked schools and teachers to prepare for the offline exam, irked parents and schools. “At a time when all exams including the professional ones such as JEE (Joint Entrance Examination), NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and even board exams are being postponed, why the insistence on conducting offline exam for students as young as Class 5 and Class 8? In fact, if the exam cannot be postponed, it can be cancelled altogether. Children’s safety is more important than any exam,” said the principal of a suburban school.

While the exam was earlier scheduled to take place on April 25, it was later pushed to May 23 due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the resultant lockdown.

Officials said that they will issue a circular in this regard soon. “There is a plan to postpone the exam and we will issue an official circular soon,” said an official from the education department.