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The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations has deferred its Plus-II exams scheduled for February 20 and 21 as they coincide with the all-India strike called by central trade unions.
The ISC exam on environmental education (Paper I theory) and environmental science (Paper I theory), scheduled for February 20, will be held on April 1. The February 21 test on art (Paper III) will be held on February 25.
“We had to reschedule the exams slated for February 20 and 21 following requests from school heads,” Gerry Arathoon, the chief executive and secretary of the council, said on Monday. Around 1,400 students across the state are set to write the three papers.
The ISC practical exams started on February 4 and written tests on February 14. In the original schedule, the last test was to be held on March 25.
Examinees and their parents had been confused since the trade unions called the 48-hour strike spanning February 20 and 21.
“The two-day nation-wide strike during a board exam shows how indifferent political parties and their frontal organisations are to students’ interests. Why should students suffer for no fault of theirs?” asked a teacher of an ISC school in south Calcutta.
In Bengal, however, the two-day general strike has been reduced to a one-day affair and the Left unions have promised not to disrupt public transport on February 21, which is observed as Bhasha Divas.
School heads welcomed the council’s decision to postpone the exams.
Before the council announced its decision, several schools were planning arrangements to ensure students did not miss the exams on the bandh days.
“We were thinking of arranging night stay for the 14 examinees for the environmental science Paper I on February 20. We are relieved to know the exam has been postponed,” said Lipika Ghosh, the principal of St. Xavier’s Institution, Panihati.
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