COVID, CBSE, AND THE FUTURE 

The number of Covid – 19 cases have once again been on a rise in the capital of the country. The recent shift in policy by CBSE is going to impact this situation, and according to most people not positively. Amid this, the most concerning fact is how will the CBSE Term-2 board examinations, scheduled to begin on April 26, be impacted.   

In a drastic change from Term-1 examinations, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has allotted centers for Term-2 examinations that are away from students’ schools in its latest guidelines. 

According to the guidelines issued, Term-2 examinations for classes 10 and 12 would be of two-hour duration, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Students are expected to report to designated exam centers by 9:30 am and be seated by 10:00 am, after which no student will be allowed to enter the examination centers. 

The guidelines also state that 18 students will be allowed to sit in a classroom for Term-2 in contrast with 12 students for Term-1. Students have been advised to strictly follow the COVID-19 guidelines – social distancing, mandatory masks, and temperature checks. 

The decision has not augured well with parents and schools as they are questioning the logic behind this change. As per a report by India Today, many parents believe that traveling less and going to a familiar school would be a better option rather than going to some school that is far off at a time when COVID-19 is spreading and students are the most vulnerable targets for the virus.  

Besides, parents and students also believe that taking Term-2 examinations at home centers will be much more comfortable and psychologically less demanding for students compared to taking exams at centers outside their schools. 

Medical experts are also of the view that home schools can provide a controlled, familiar atmosphere and are likely to ensure strict implementation of the COVID-19 guidelines. This is because any mingling is hardly possible at the home centers as a student already know each other. Experts also believe that centers away from students’ schools are more likely to expose them to the risk of the disease. 

Some experts also believe that home-center conditions will make it easier to segregate the students in case of an outbreak of the virus. Besides, the responsibility of the outbreak can also be fixed upon the center making the containment process and procedures much easier. 

While parents, students, and medical experts believe that home centers are the best and go-to option for conducting the CBSE Term-2 examinations, some people believe that teachers can be partial to their students at home centers. They believe that this can be resolved by that just like Term-1, home centers can have invigilators from other schools to address concerns around the fair conduct of the examination. 

There have been reports of school children testing positive for COVID in Delhi and NCR. Meanwhile, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will meet on April 20 amid the rise in coronavirus cases. The meeting will be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the city. 

It remains to be seen what the final effect of these said policy changes will be as well as how the Covid situation develops and the impact it can and will have. Only if we have the foresight and logic to counter these challenges can we mitigate the effects that time shall bring.