The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) already announced the results of the board exams for classes 5, 8, and 9 on Monday, just before the Supreme Court’s interim stay. Now, the department has decided to take legal opinion from the Advocate General for the next course of action.
Ritesh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary, DSEL, told The Hindu: “Exams for classes 5, 8, and 9 were over and the results were declared on Monday. Schools were closed and the academic year of 2023-24 also ended on Monday. We can’t reopen the schools because of the Supreme Court’s interim stay. We will take the Advocate General’s advice on the next step.”
Confusion among students, parents
The tussle over the exams has left parents, students, and teachers, who are the major stakeholders, in utter confusion. “Amid the legal battle in the High Court and the Supreme Court, the board exams for classes 5, 8, and 9 were cancelled and rescheduled twice. After a green signal from the High Court Division Bench on March 22, the halted exams were completed recently and the results were announced on Monday. But the Supreme Court again stayed the order of the High Court. However, the department is not clarifying whether the declared results are official or not. It has created a lot of confusion and the children are frustrated. We don’t know what will happen in the future,” said Vishvanath, parent of a class 8 student.
Pallavi G., a class 9 student, said: “The results have been declared and I have been promoted to class 10. I have decided to prepare for class 10 right away. However, if the Supreme Court cancels this result in its final verdict, do I have to write the class 9 exam again?”
Teachers are also wondering the same. “The department has declared the results for classes 5, 8, and 9. If the Supreme Court cancels the board exams, including the results, in its final verdict, will it order that the children be assessed at the school level again? There is no answer from the authorities in this regard. So, we are also in confusion,” said a teacher of a government high school, Bengaluru.
