The General Education Department in Kerala has decided to put off the Plus Two higher secondary and vocational higher secondary practical examinations, for the time being.
The practical exams were scheduled for April 28, to take place after the theory exams for the Plus Two higher secondary and vocational higher secondary concluded on April 26. The State Human Rights Commission had taken a suo motu case in connection with the conduct of the practicals and asked the Director of General Education to submit a report on Monday.
In a response to the commission, the director said that all arrangements for the conduct of the practical examinations had been made and that all health guidelines would also be observed, reported the Hindu.
However, the examinations have been postponed as the state witnessed a huge spike in the number of COVID-19 patients. The state reported 21,890 cases on Monday.
Teachers organisations, including the All Kerala School Teachers Union, had been urging the government to reconsider the practical examinations due to the pandemic.
Earlier the SSLC and the Higher Secondary examinations in the state were postponed due to the Assembly elections held on April 6. The state government had requested the Election Commission to postpone the exams, which were scheduled to begin on March 17. Post the elections, it was decided to hold the examinations- SSLC from April 8 to 29 and Plus Two exams from April 8 to 26. As per this, the SSLC theory exams will be concluded on Thursday.
The Kerala Human Rights Commission, meanwhile, issued a notice to the Director of General Education on the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) with regard to the Information Technology practical exams scheduled to begin on May 5. The commission asked the director to submit a report in three days on whether conducting the exams would lead to a spike in the caseload. The commission sought notice on a petition that sought the IT practicals to put off.
No formal announcement, however, on the IT practical announcement has been made yet.