‘Conducting Offline Exams Can Invite Medical Catastrophe’, Parents Write to Govt Demanding Hybrid Mode Option For CBSE Term 1 Papers

CBSE Term 1 Board Exam 2021-22: Amid growing concern over Omicron variant of coronavirus, over 8,000 parents wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging him to direct the CBSE to provide a hybrid option for class 10, 12 board exams 2021-22. For the unversed, the CBSE has shifted to the two-term board-exam pattern from the academic year 2021-2022 onwards, in the wake of the ongoing pandemic situation. While the term 1 exam began on November 16, the term 2 exam will be held in the month of March-April 2022.Also Read – CBSE Class 12 Board Exams 2021: Board Acknowledges Error in Sociology Paper on ‘Gujarat Violence’, to Take Action Against Paper Setters

‘Conducting Offline Exams Can Invite Medical Catastrophe’

Referring to the advisories issued by the government of India, the WHO and various other competent authorities, the joint letter by over 8,000 parents said that conducting offline exams under these conditions can invite medical catastrophe. “Students are not vaccinated yet, and about 3 per cent to 4 per cent of them are being tested positive for the virus despite getting vaccinated. It is estimated that the Covid virus is going to spread even more because of the festive season and the exams scheduled right after that become a super-spreader event if the same is conducted only in offline mode,” it said.

‘Right to Life or Health Shall be Priority’

In the letter, parents further stated that ‘Right to Life‘ or health shall be the priority while evaluating students of the CBSE. “Lack of choice and undue advantage is also putting a lot of students under pressure. It is common knowledge that some states are still under the red zone and hence, offline examination across India would only lead to violation of the extant Covid protocols,” the letter read.

To ensure fair assessment, parents asserted that since the entire mode of education was online, fairness and propriety require that students should get an option for online examination.

“As per your existing policy, students were supposed to come only when parents gave their consent, keeping their health or life in mind. It is beyond reason and tends to become arbitrary when this policy is not extended to examinations as well when the very objective of the fair examination is to facilitate the fair assessment of student concerned”, the letter added.

The letter comes days after the Supreme Court scrapped a petition filed by a group of students seeking directions for CBSE and CISCE to issue a revised circular for conducting the ensuing class 10 and 12 board examinations in hybrid mode instead of offline mode only amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘MakeTerm1Online’ and ‘MakeTerm1Hybrid’ Trend on Twitter

However, the students received support on social media platforms. Using hashtags ‘#MakeTerm1Online’ and ‘#MakeTerm1Hybrid’ to put forth their demands, students claimed that offline exams would pose a threat to their lives. “If we had offline classes from the starting, it was not a big deal to give offline exams like in earlier classes we did but after ONLINE classes, why exams would be OFFLINE,it’s injustice I think govt must intervene in it again”, tweeted a student.

#PleaseCancelTerm1 or #MakeTerm1Hybrid pls help us @dpradhanbjp pls don’t risk our lives https://t.co/69MQjiFKy9

— Vedansh (@Vedansh64992956) December 2, 2021

Sad reality of India #covidvariant #cancelterm1 #MakeTerm1Hybrid pic.twitter.com/4VtjEIexgD

— Rayburn (@Saachi51531049) November 26, 2021

All India JEE-NEET Students’ Association (AIJNSA) also asked authorities to make the first term hybrid. “CBSE and CISCE Students demand #MakeTerm1Hybird but respected authority is not listening to their voices”, tweeted AIJNSA.

CBSE&CISCE Students demands for #MakeTerm1Hybird but respected authority is not listening to their voices. So students & parents are compelled to do a symbolic protest at #jantarmantar tommorrow at 12:00 pm with @ActivistSukhpal & @AIJNSA_official requesting for #cancelterm1 pic.twitter.com/iZrDIpowA8

— AIJNSA (@AIJNSA_official) November 26, 2021

Despite all these, the board has not changed its stand as yet and has clarified that Class 10 and 12 CBSE board exam 2021-22 will be held in offline mode at respective schools or exam centres with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.