The postponement of the ICSE and ISC exams has increased students’ anxiety and many are calling teachers to ask when they can expect the new dates, several heads of schools said.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) postponed the semester 1 ICSE and ISC exams, which were scheduled from November 15, and said “all stakeholders will be informed of the revised schedule in due course of time”.
Students had been gearing up for the online exam and the postponement has upset their preparations. Their queries to teachers include what the new dates will be, whether it will be online and how long the exams are likely to continue.
“The postponement yesterday has left students in a state of flux because they do not know when they will have the exam now,” said Terence Ireland, principal, St James’ School.
Parents are apprehensive, too, especially those with children in Class XII.
A parent whose daughter is planning to apply abroad said her schedule had been disrupted.
“A sudden announcement is unfair for children and shows that there is no consideration for them. My daughter is planning to go abroad and November-December is the time for college applications. She had thought she would apply after the semester 1 exams. This will make it difficult to focus on either,” said Tejas Doshi whose daughter is in Class XII.
Teachers said no one knew when the exams were likely to be held and that was adding to the anxiety.
“I have been receiving calls since yesterday. Till the students know the fresh dates, there will be queries from them,” said Anil Jha, senior coordinator, The Heritage School.
“As it is, there will be two semester exams. As schools, we have to prepare our students. So we conduct exams especially to train them for the new MCQ (multiple choice question) system. If the semester 1 exam is delayed, it will reduce the gap between the two exams. There will be pre-boards in between, which will only make it exhausting for students,” said Terence John, principal, Julien Day School Kalyani.
Principals said the postponement had also upset the school calendars, especially for Classes X and XII.
Several schools in the city have winter vacations from the second week of December.
“We had issued a notice and asked teachers not to make any travel plans till December 16, by when the semester 1 exams would have been over. But now, we do not know whether it has been postponed for a week, a fortnight or a month,” said John Stephen, acting principal, La Martiniere for Boys.
Some schools have also planned pre-board exams in February and are now worried that they will have to change their schedule.
“We had scheduled the-pre boards in February but now, we might have to rework our calendar,” said Jessica Gomes Surana, principal, Loreto Convent Entally.