Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Thousands of parents and teachers in Sardarpur expressed outrage over the state education department's decision regarding Class V and Class VIII Board exams. With 15,000 students affected, concerns arise as they are mandated to travel 7 to 10 km to alternate examination centres. This order has left families distressed, citing it as potential child abuse, especially considering the young age of the students.
The directive, issued on January 29, instructs schools serving as exam centres to redirect students to nearby facilities, despite the significant distances involved. This poses a significant challenge for students, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and reside in remote tribal areas. The situation highlights a disconnect between policy-making and ground realities, as the state education department's decision overlooks the hardships faced by students and their families.
Moreover, with the exams scheduled to commence on March 6, the full extent of its impact remains to be seen. In a region with 562 schools operating across 13 cluster centres, the scarcity of transportation resources exacerbates the challenge, potentially depriving numerous students of the opportunity to sit for their exams. As tensions mount, the future of students in Classes V to VIII across Madhya Pradesh hangs in the balance, awaiting the repercussions of this controversial order. Meanwhile, when contacted Keshav Verma, district project coordinator, district education centre, Dhar said, “The examination centres will be given to the students as per the instructions of the state education department. Students will have to go to those examination centres to appear for the examination."
"We are working to make the examination centres as per the convenience of the students. Our efforts will be to ensure that the students do not have to appear for other examinations. There should be no problem with going to the centre to take the exam. Students can take the exam independently. The BRC team is working in every block regarding the selection of exam centres," he added.
