The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday said that the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams for Class 10, which were postponed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, would be held two weeks after the lockdown is lifted.
Speaking to reporters, state Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh said that the state academic calendar will be released as per the Human Resource Department (HRD) Ministry's ad hoc calendar for the new academic year.
"As per the instructions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Education Department is planning to conduct SSC examinations two weeks after the lockdown is lifted and the exams will be held keeping in view all the guidelines while implementing the social distancing norms strictly so that students will not be affected," the Minister said.
In a video conference held with Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Tuesday, Suresh explained about the digital classes, online class work, and classes being broadcast through the Doordarshan Saptagiri channel in Andhra Pradesh.
The HRD Minister has suggested that the state should make use of digital education, online classes and said that the mid-day meals programme should continue in summer as well, a press release stated.
"The State Minister requested the Union Minister to grant funds from the central government quota for Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGVB) and model schools. Moreover, he requested that the Centre approve a few more model schools in rural areas in the state," the release added.
Last month, shortly after the nationwide lockdown was implemented, the Andhra Pradesh government said that final exams for students from class 6 to 9 are to be cancelled, and all students are to be passed and promoted to the next grade. Exams for classes 1 to 5 have already been conducted in the state.
With this, only the SSC exams for Class 10 remain to be conducted as they had been indefinitely postponed in view of the pandemic.