Haryana board exams for classes 5, 8 canceled
What's the story
The government of Haryana has said there will be no board exams for classes five and eight this year. State Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that board exams for these classes will begin from the next session. The decision comes after students and their parents held protests against the proposed decision of the state government.
Context
Why does this story matter?
In January, the Haryana government issued a notification to allow conducting board exams for classes five and eight. However, groups of students and parents continued to protest the order. They said such exams would be based on a new syllabus, making it difficult for students to prepare. They further contended that students have already been suffering due to school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quote
Government issues statement on decision
"Chief Minister Sh @mlkhattar today announced that there will be no board exams for class 5th & 8th this year...From next session, board exams will be conducted for 5th & 8th classes (sic)," according to an official government statement posted on Twitter.
Protest
Hundreds staged a protest on Sunday
On Sunday, hundreds of students and parents staged a protest in Gurugram seeking the cancellation of board exams for the classes. The protest was held at Leisure Valley in the city's Sector 29 area. "A new board exam is creating more stress rather than helping children bridge this gap...(It) brings unnecessary pressure," said Sudhir Sachdeva, one of the protesting parents.
Developments
School associations moved high court against order
Earlier in February, the Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH) had directed all schools to register for holding exams for class 8 in March this year. Several school associations had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a stay on the government order. The first hearing was held on February 10, and the next hearing had been set for April 4.