The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Parents concerned at repercussions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Parents concerned at repercussions

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, FEB. 3. The Government's decision to hold a separate public examination for SSLC and Plus-Two students from schools in the 13 tsunami-affected districts has not gone down well with either students community or parents.

Their concern has shifted to the admission to professional courses and the possibility of the two sets of question papers evaluated differently.

"It would be so much better if the Government postponed the examinations for all students. That would mean one common examination and the same kind of evaluation. My daughter has been preparing for her Plus-Two examinations and a high total for the past four years. We want her to get into a good medical college. Suppose the second round of the examinations turns out to be easier, those students are bound to score higher marks, undermining the chances of those who take it earlier," argues R. Vadivelu, a resident of Nungambakkam.

The public examinations in the affected districts are likely to take place a month after the original schedule. Education officials explain that soon after the December 26, 2004 tsunami, the Government received several representations about the plight of students in the coastal districts who had lost their books and notebooks. Though the Chief Minister ordered immediate distribution of free books through the Text Book Society, it was felt that students were still suffering from trauma and would need more time to prepare for the examinations. Hence the postponement.

The 13 affected districts are Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. Students in 66 schools in these districts will take separate Standard X examinations in the first week of April and those in 121 schools will take Plus-Two examinations in the last week of April.

A Salem-based education consultant, Jayaprakash Gandhi, appreciates the concern for the tsunami-affected boys and girls and the need to give them more time.

But, he reasons: "It cannot be denied that it becomes difficult for a common evaluation of two different examinations for the same purpose — admission to colleges. We know by experience that every mark counts in the admission to professional colleges. A fraction of a mark may mean that a student gets into a different college or different course. That is why the parents are worried."

He believes that it will be possible to provide special coaching and counselling for the affected students and prepare them for examinations, which could be held together.

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