Telangana: Schools insist on offline exams

Begumpet: After the resumption of physical classes, school managements are said to have made offline classes and offline exams mandatory for students of class VI and above against the parents' will.

Despite parents' requests to allow online exams, the schools are adamant on their decision. Many schools have made it clear that students of classes VI and above will not be promoted if they fail to appear for offline exams.

The parents are reluctant to send their children to schools for offline exams. They are demanding action against such schools which have given up on continuing online exams and classes. "The government has announced that students will not be promoted this year without exams, but it has not declared any decision on the mode of conduct. So why are these schools making their own rules. Is the government decision not imperative to schools anymore, questioned Madhav, whose son studies IX class in a private school at Begumpet.

"My final exams concluded in February and I had no choice but to appear physically for the exams. I was forced to attend the offline exams, as there was no other option. Even though my parents were apprehensive about it, and as I was worried, I appeared for exams," said a student of class VIII in Gitanjali School, Begumpet.

The Telangana Recognised School Management Association (TRSMA) has announced offline exams for classes VI and above, without waiting for the government's decision for the mode of conduct, while the budget schools are yet to conduct final examinations for classes VI and above in April. They have informed parents the mode of conduct for examination would be offline and in case students fail to appear, they will be not promoted, announced TRSMA.

However, DEO of Hyderabad R Rohini clarified that it was the parents' decision whether to opt for offline or online exams. "There are no complaints registered by parents against any school for taking up offline exams for students of classes VI and above. If parents approach the Department of School Education, we will act against school managements," she said.