GUWAHATI, June 7: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora has urged the state government to come out with an “early and concrete” decision in regard to holding of the Assam board (Class X) and higher secondary (Class XII) examinations.
In a letter to the chief minister on Monday, Bora also appealed to the state government to immediately formulate a mechanism or an evaluation scheme by deliberating with eminent educationists, students unions, students and other stakeholders.
The APCC president said that in the prevailing COVID-19 situation, it is not feasible to hold the matriculation and higher secondary final examinations and that a mechanism or an evaluation scheme is imperative in order to cope up with the CBSE’s internal assessment. “Further on that basis the examinations could be struck down for this year, in order to stop the loss of their extremely precious academic year,” he added.
“I believe you are aware of the fact that after the cancellation of CBSE examination across the country in view of the pandemic situation, many universities in the country have started the process of admission into higher classes. But in Assam, no final decision has been taken in regard to conducting the offline examination of SEBA and AHSEC till now,” Bora wrote.
Meanwhile, he stated that the education minister had made a series of announcements about holding the examinations, “but without any clarity, leaving the students, parents and teachers in uncertainty, distress and mental agony.”
It may be mentioned that amid the growing confusion among the student fraternity in regard to the Assam board exams, thousands of students have embarked on a campaign on Twitter, demanding cancellation of the HSLC exam conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Assam (SEBA) and HS exam under the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC).
Recently, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the state government would decide on holding the class 12 exams only after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announces the modalities for marking the students. Sarma said that a decision on it will be taken after consultation with all stakeholders as it is a question of students’ future.
“I am looking forward to your government taking a very pragmatic decision in the favour of the students. I hope the decision is conveyed to the students, parents and teachers at the earliest with an aim to end their months of distress,” Bora stated.