Patna: Schools to promote students without exams

PATNA: The coronavirus pandemic has forced many private and government schools in the city to promote the students of nursery to class VII without writing any examination.
The final exams of nursery to class IX, which were being conducted by several schools, had to be suspended after the state government issued a directive for closure of all educational institutes till March 31.
According to the officials at the regional office (Bihar and Jharkhand) of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), around two-third schools in the state have not completed the final exams. Hence, the students of nursery to class VII will be promoted.
Officials of the Bihar Education Project Council claimed that promotions would be granted to the students based on their performance in the first and half-yearly exams as well as other classroom activities.
Patliputra Sahodaya School Complex secretary C B Singh told this newspaper on Thursday that only those schools, which were selected as centres of classes X and XII boards, had already conducted the annual exams.
“In Patna, there are 178 CBSE-affiliated schools, of which only 40 are made examination centres. The remaining schools generally conduct the annual exams, which have now been cancelled due to coronavirus, in the mid of March,” Singh said and added that the students of classes VIII, IX and XI would write the final exams after the schools reopen.
Private Schools and Children Welfare Association president Shamael Ahmed urged the state government to allow schools to complete the ongoing final examinations. “The schools have been forced to promote even the weak students to the next class. This is not good for the deserving ones,” he rued.
Meanwhile, some parents are worried and others have heaved a sigh of relief as their kids will be promoted without any exam.
Sumit Priyadarshi, a resident of Phulwarisharif, whose son and daughter study in classes II and V, said, “My children will not get a report card, which could have helped us analyse their performance.”
All schools affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) have already completed their annual examinations. However, Board exams are going on in CBSE and CISCE schools amid precautionary measures.