Following the announcement that the Class 10 exams have been rescheduled and will begin from June 15, teachers across the State continue to reiterate that they must get to meet their students for 15 days before the exam.
When the Class 10 exams were initially announced to begin from June 1, many teachers and parents questioned why the State was in a rush to hold the exams early. Since schools have been shut since mid-March, teachers have raised concerns about not having met their students in over two months, and whether they would be mentally ready to take up the exams.
“Whenever the exams are scheduled, we want at least 10 days with the students. Even if schools are not reopened by then, teachers should be allowed to meet the Class 10 students alone so that we can help them,” said P.K. Ilamaran, president of the Tamil Nadu Teachers Association.
To ensure that they get time with the students, many teachers have asked for the exams to be held once schools reopen fully. “If the exams had been rescheduled to the end of June or even July, we would have got a few days before to meet with the students. We are unsure now if we can help them revise and motivate them in person,” said Patric Raymond, State Secretary, Tamil Nadu Graduate Teachers Federation.
Over the last few days, teachers and school heads in rural areas have had a tough time reaching out to students.
The headmaster of a government school in Tiruvarur district said the parents of most of the SSLC students in his school do not have smart phones. “To reach out to them and ensure they stay motivated and are revising their lessons, their Panchayat president is helping us. Based on student information we have passed on, he is meeting them and ensuring that they are preparing for the exams,” he said.
Another teacher from Thiruvallur district said, “Our school has 35 students taking up the exams and every alternate day, teachers handling their subjects are calling them and speaking to them . For students who have smartphones at home, we are asking them to send in their doubts through WhatsApp but these students are few in number.”
After the exams were announced, he said that many students had reached out to them, worried if they would be able to attempt their papers well. “We've been constantly reassuring them and asking them to stay positive and motivated. Since we will only be seeing them on the day of the exam at their exam centres, speaking to them on the phone is our only option now,” he said.
A science teacher from Kallakurichi said that several families had just one mobile at home, which the parents take with them when they leave the house.
