MUMBAI: With students returning to classrooms, some schools are getting ready to conduct their first offline exams since the shutdown of educational institutions in March last year.
On Monday when schools and junior colleges reopened, more than 40% of the 4.5 lakh students from classes 8 to 12 attended in the city. A big chunk of the 1.8 lakh students were from Class 10. Principals said more parents of Class 10 students have given consent for attendance than classes 8 and 9. A day after schools reopened, more parents were willing to give their consent, said principals.
Schools have begun chalking out plans to conduct their first semester exams in the offline mode. In the last academic year (2020-21), all exams were held online.
“Both parents and students want offline exams. We will have physical exams from October 21,” said Sajitha Venugopal, principal, Cosmos High School and Junior College, Bhandup. Around 68% of students have consented to attending physical school. “Over 90% Class 10 students are attending physical school in batches,” said Venugopal. The seriousness of the students was evident when all got to school on Tuesday, a day after the formal reopening that saw them being welcomed with flowers and music.
Vidyamandir school in Dahisar will have their offline exams from October 16. “Considering the good response to physical school, we will hold a pen-and-paper exam,” said principal Sudhir Desai, who had around 60% parents consent for classroom learning.
Few schools may hold offline exams after Diwali. “We will think of offline preliminary exams for Class 10 and 12 students in November. Right now let the children just enjoy getting back to school,” said Mahima Raheja, principal, K J Khilnani High Cchool and Junior College, Mahim.
BMC had given permission to non-state boards like Cambridge, IB, CBSE and CISCE to conduct physical exams for classes 10 and 12. Some of the schools that reopened are likely to shut in coming days to conduct online exams.
