PANAJI
Expectedly, the State government on Wednesday cancelled the Class XII (HSSC) examination conducted by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBS&HSE), a day after a similar decision for the Class 12 exams conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) due to the Covid surge.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made the announcement informing that the decision was taken after extentsive consultations and as the health and safety of our students were of utmost priority.
The decision ends the anxiety amongst the students, parents and teachers community in the State.
Sawant said students will be assessed and their results declared as per well-defined objective criteria.
Earlier on Wednesday morning Sawant had said the government was still considering three options, including holding the exams for over 21,000 students.
Talking to reporters at the Secretariat, Sawant had said the three options included completely cancelling examinations or allowing those who want to opt for appearing for exams the opportunity and declaring results based on internal marks for those who do not want to answer.
“The third option is to hold exams for everyone,” Sawant had said, after holding a meeting with top officials of the Education department, including Chairman of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Bhagirath Shetye.
On Tuesday, a high-level review held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to cancel the examinations conducted by CBSE due to the Covid-19 situation across the country much to the relief of lakhs of students and their parents as well as teachers.
Prior to that on April 14, the CBSE had issued a notification cancelling class 10 exams, while postponing class 12 exams as the second Covid-19 wave caused devastation across the country. On April 16 and 19, the CISCE, too, issued similar notifications.
The Prime Minister’s decision on Tuesday had triggered some hope among parents and students in Goa that the State Chief Minister would also follow suit and cancel the class 12 exams.
