The Kerala government has decided to conduct the SSLC and higher secondary examinations on the earlier announced dates of May 26 to 30. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the exams will be postponed to June first week.
Later in the evening, however, the Chief Minister announced for the exam to be held as per earlier schedule was made by the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday evening hours after his cabinet said that the exam would be postponed. The Kerala CM pinned the confusion on the part of the union government, stating that it was against conducting exams during the lockdown ending on May 31.
"We did not want to enter into a quarrel with the Centre on certain issues, though we would have to air our differences on other matters," the Chief Minister was quoted as saying at his Wednesday evening press conference. "There was an issue with the Centre’s approval for the exams. The Centre has now given its sanction and we have decided to conduct the exams," he added.
The Chief Minister assured that all safety measures will be put in place at the exam centres. The children will be seated wide apart and will be asked to wear masks and use sanitizers before entering the classroom. The students will also be screened for fever.
Earlier on Wednesday, a notification was issued by the Chief Minister’s Office stating that the exams were postponed citing the Centre’s guidelines and COVID-19 lockdown Extention as the reasons for postponing the exams. A cabinet meeting was also held prior to making this announcement.
However, the announcements did not clarify if students from Gulf regions and Lakshadweep can write their exam schedule. The Chief Minister on Tuesday had informed that the education department is trying to facilitate exam centres in the Gulf. "If that is not possible, exams will have to be postponed for such students," the Chief Minister had said then.
An estimated 4.2 lakh students are to appear for SSLC examinations in the state and another 8 lakh students are likely to appear for higher secondary and vocational higher secondary examinations.
SSLC exam schedules
May 26 - Mathematics (afternoon)
May 27 - Physics (afternoon)
May 28 - Chemistry (afternoon)
Plus One
May 26 - Entrepreneurship development (VHSE - morning)
May 27 - Music, Accountancy, Geography, Social Work, Sanskrit (morning)
May 28 - Economics
May 29 - Physics, Philosophy, English, Literature, Sociology (morning)
May 30 - Chemistry, Gandhian Studies, Anthropology
Plus Two
May 26 - Entrepreneurship development (VHSE - morning)
May 27 - Biology, Geography, Sanskrit, Economics, Communicative English, Statistics, Part 3 languages
May 28 - Business Studies, Psychology, Electronic Service Technology, Electronic Systems
May 29 - History, Islamic History and Culture, Computer Application, Home Science, Computer Science
May 30 - Mathematics, Political Science, Journalism