HYDERABAD : Sakala Janula Samme (peopleas strike) has hit the CBSE and ICSE schools the most. While the stateas school education department is planning to postpone the half-yearly examinations to the last week of January to make up for the 40-day loss owing to the ongoing Telangana state struggle, the students of CBSE and ICSE schools in the city, however, have been told by their respective boards that their examinations will not be postponed in view of regional conflicts. In response to enquiries made by some central board schools about two weeks ago, the CBSE and ICSE boards have clarified that examinations including those of Class X and XII students will be conducted as per schedule in March.
While Hyderabad Sahodaya, a body representing all CBSE schools in the city, had briefed the central board on the academic schedule getting derailed, they were informed that the board will not be able to postpone the examinations as this will affect the academic schedule of students across the country. Moreover, the CBSE and ICSE schools of the city were informed that their students will be allowed to write the examination if they meet the required number of classroom instruction hours. School officials say that the board had maintained the same stand even when a similar strike derailed the academic year, 2010-11. So far the CBSE and ICSE schools have lost 15 working days of their 220-day long academic year due to the strike.
To make up for the lost working days, schools are now thinking of cutting short their Sankranti vacation. asThe number of holidays will have to be cut short and the students will have to attend extra classes as we have declared a holiday till October 16,a? said Martin Ravikumar, dean of academic activities, Oakridge International School. Some school officials are now busy scheduling special classes on even second Saturdays. asTo cover portions, we need students to put in extra working hours. Even the pre-board examinations might get affected if extra classes are not conducted,a? said Usha Reddy, principal, Meridian School. Jubilee Hills. The pre-board examinations of CBSE class X students are scheduled for the first week of January.
Even as chief minister, N Kiran Kumar Reddy requested schools and colleges to start functioning from Tuesday, several schools including Johnson Grammar School, Habsiguda and St Georgeas Grammar School informed parents that schools will remain closed till the end of this week. Several schools including Glendale Academy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Oakridge International School had closed indefinitely on Monday after they were asked by the Telangana agitators to shut down.
School officials said that not just the examinations but all activities of schools are affected due to the strike. asThis is the time for study tours and field trips for students from Classes VIII to X. We have had to postpone most of these activities due to the strike. And what is worse is that under Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) or the new evaluation system of CBSE these activities are graded,a? said the principal of a CBSE school based in Gachibowli.
Vexed with the strike, some of the schools have decided to reopen on Monday. asWe have decided not to succumb to pressure from the agitators. If we continue to listen to them weall not be able to save the academic year,a? said principal of a CBSE school that has decided to conduct classes from Wednesday. Several schools complained that TRS henchmen have already warned them of dire consequences if they reopen the school.
Meanwhile, worried parents are planning to approach the T-JAC to request them to exempt schools from the strike. asIt has become increasingly difficult for us to carry on like this. For working parents, the strike has become a nightmare as we have to even employ an additional caretaker to look after the children who are now at home now all day,a? said M Sangeetha, a city parent. Parents also complained that even the new TRAI regulations have caused them trouble as the schools have not been able to communicate news about suspension of classes to all parents. asEarlier we used to get SMS alerts now with the new regulations stating that only 100 SMSes can be sent everyday we have not been getting alerts from schools,a? said a parent of a student of Johnson Grammar School.
Source : TOI