MARGAO
Calling up the government to take all legal measures to protect the future of students of Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary, the Goa Forward party has urged the government to immediately seek legal opinion and promulgate an ordinance to bestow legal backing on the decision to scrap the SSC and HSSC examinations and the modalities for marks assessment.
Addressing the media, party senior leaders Prashant Naik and Dilip Prabhudesai informed the future of the SSC and HSSC students hangs in balance after the government scrapped the board examinations when there’s no provision in the Goa Board Act for cancellation of the examination.
“The Goa Board Act was enacted decades ago when those framing the Act did not anticipate Covid pandemic. But, the government has taken a decision to cancel the examinations and lay guidelines for assessment of marks”, Naik said.
He pointed out that the Goa Board Act is silent on cancellation of examinations and assessment of marks, the government should immediately seek the legal opinion of the Law department or the Advocate General and set in motion the legal process to promulgate an ordinance. “This is not as simple as it looks. The future of thousands of students is at stake. If the government does not come out with an ordinance, even the marks awarded to the students may come under question since it is not backed by law”, he said.
Naik added: “The government should take up the matter seriously. This is not reservation of municipal wards, but the very future of thousands of our students”.
Dilip Prabhudesai said the Goa University had issued an ordinance and gave it a retrospective effect after the University cancelled the examinations. “Since there is no Assembly session, the only way for the government is to go the ordinance route to protect the interests of the student community. The certificates issued by the board should be valid as per the law”, he added.
