The Delhi government’s education department has written to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) requesting that the academic year be extended and board examinations not be conducted before May 2021.
The letter, written by the additional director of education Saroj Bala Sain to the controller of examinations, stated that the request is being made to “provide students with reasonable time to study in persons in schools.”
“A major chunk of time of Academic Session 2020-2021 (approximately 7 months) could not be utilised for classroom teaching-learning process as schools in Delhi are closed till October 31, 2020. Though the Directorate of Education has conducted online/semi-online teaching-learning activities through live classes as well as worksheets/activity sheets, the online teaching-learning process cannot replace the physical classroom teaching-learning process,” the letter stated.
Request to Extend Payment Deadline for Board Examinations
The education department has also requested an extension of the deadline for payment of examination fees for the 2021 board exams from 15 October to 14 November.
The education department had written to CBSE and requested a waiver of the examination fee for students of Classes 10 and 12 in its schools citing financial crunch due to coronavirus pandemic.
“The CBSE was requested last month for waiving off the entire examination fee, as a one time measure, for the students of classes 10 and 12 studying in government-run and aided schools. In reply to the request, the board had shown its inability to waive off the examination fee of students of class X and XII of the aforementioned schools,” the letter stated.
The letter further said due to the ongoing pandemic, most of the parents have lost their jobs and their incomes have been affected badly and their savings have already been used to meet their daily needs.
“Facing such problems and for continuation of the study of their children, parents are resorting to loans for paying the examination fee of their children,” the letter read.
The Delhi High Court on 7 October also issued notice over a petition against the rise in the examination fees demanded by the education board.
The plea filed through advocates PS Sharda and Kshitij Sharda said the CBSE for the year 2019-2020 arbitrarily enhanced its examination fee for Class 10 and Class 12 Board examination by two-fold as compared to the year 2017- 2018 and several folds as compared to the year 2014-2015.
The fee effectively translates to about Rs 2,400 in case of practical science and additional subject option case and increases by 2400% in case of sc/st students, the petitioner said.
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