Aam Aadmi Party has urged the BJP Govt to take a firm and timely decision about XII Std board examinations, stating that the indecision and uncertainty is causing a lot of stress and anguish among the youth. Informing that about 20,000 students would be appearing for the exam, Adv Pratima Coutinho Vice President advised CM Pramod Sawant that Goa can carry out board exams quickly and safely if students can be vaccinated.
Coutinho suggested a 2-month plan with the following timeline:
1) First dose in first week of June
2) Second dose after six weeks, in third week of July
3) Board exams in limited subjects in first week of August, with social distancing and masks.
With the Govt having about 2.5 lakh vaccines in stock, Coutinho said that allotting less than 40,000 vaccines for this important exercise should not be a problem. Coutinho said that most XII Std students are 18 years of age, and suggested that Goa Board can ask for approval from relevant vaccination experts to administer it to those who may be a few months younger.
Coutinho said that since the Std XII exam are an important milestone in the students’ academic career, only those subjects that would be an important criteria for further admission should be included in the examination.
Coutinho urged the CM to announce this plan immediately, as it would give time and a degree of certainty for students to prepare for the exams. Coutinho added that with more youth already affected by the second wave and expected to be affected in the third wave, this step would also give them the protection that is required anyway, regardless of the benefit of being able to conduct exams safely.
Coutinho informed that many of the affected youth have reached out to the party leadership, as they are experiencing a lot of mental stress due to the uncertainty. Stating that the decision for central boards like CBSE and competitive exams like NEET & JEE may be taken by the Centre, Coutinho advised Sawant, who is also the Education Minister, to take decision for Goa Board immediately.
