A pan-Maharashtra school trustees’ organization has asked the state education department to either scrap their circular of a uniform summer exam schedule (Classes 1- 9) or face legal action. The Maharashtra Rajya Shikshan Sanstha Mahamandal (MRSSM) has written to education minister Dada Bhuse that conducting internal exams is the jurisdiction of schools, and the govt’s decision to have a uniform exam schedule is a clear violation.
According to media reports, MRSSM’s sahkaryawah Ravindra Fadnavis raised concerns over the exam schedule set by the State Council for Education, Research and Training (SCERT). The written exams are scheduled from April 8 to 25, followed by oral exams, with results expected on May 1.
Fadnavis pointed out that this timeline poses challenges, especially in Vidarbha. “In Vidarbha, how can you expect a child of Class 1 to come to school on April 25? The blazing sun is dangerous, which puts them at risk during commutes,” he said.
“In villages, many schools are operating with poor infrastructure, and the heat becomes deadly,” said Fadnavis.
In its letter to the education minister, MRSSM emphasized that courts have ruled students must be provided with a suitable learning environment.
Fadnavis highlighted the rising temperatures, saying, “It’s March, and already mercury has touched 42 degrees in certain parts of Vidarbha. So how can the govt force students to come to school for the entire month of April even as warnings of heatwaves are pouring in from the meteorological department?”
MRSSM also pointed out that under the Right to Education Act (RTE), schools are required to function for 200 days for Classes 1-5 and 220 days for higher classes.
Fadnavis questioned the need for keeping schools open longer, “By the end of March, most schools have already met the required benchmark. So, can we still call students to school when it goes beyond the RTE rules?”, he said.
MRSSM pointed out that deciding the schedule for internal exams and the academic calendar is the responsibility of school management and the parent-teacher association.
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