Over 4,000 student of Indian schools in Oman in limbo after exam cancellation

Muscat: More than 4,200 students attending Indian schools in Oman are eagerly waiting for updates on their exams, and conditions for promotion, after the class XII board exams were postponed, and the class X examinations were cancelled.

The decision over the exams was made following a high-level meeting involving Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, owing to the surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.

“The board exams for class XII to be held from May 4 to June, 14, 2021 are hereby postponed,” said Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, India’s Minister for Education. “These exams will be held hereafter.”

The situation will be reviewed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on 1 June. A notice period of at least 15 days will be given prior to the start of the exams.

“The results of the class X board exams will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the board,” he added.

“Any candidate who is not satisfied with the marks allocated to him/her on this basis will be given an opportunity to sit in an exam as and when the conditions are conducive to hold the exams.”

The decision to only postpone the class XII board exams was due to a number of reasons, said Dr Sivakumar Manikkan, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in the Sultanate of Oman.

“The class XII students have been in this grade for 14 months now – we have come to the situation where we absolutely have to organise their exams, because they have many things to consider, in terms of university admissions, and accordingly make plans for their higher studies,” he said.

“We have held a number of exams online, but there is normally no provision to take the board exam in this manner,” he added. “The practical exams were taken on-site, so I think the written papers will also be conducted in the same way.”

Regarding need to set up promotion criteria for class X students, Manikkan said the CBSE had come up with such plans previously as well.

“We are waiting for the board to devise the evaluation method for promotion to class XI, but the class X board exams will not have that much of an impact on the stream a student wants to take,” he said.

“The promotion criteria for class XI are already decided previously, and students can begin learning in their desired stream.”

On a personal note, the chairman added that his own daughter is expected to sit for her class XII board exams soon.

“It is not ideal to postpone and extend the time taken for the exams to happen, so let us hope it happens soon.”

Parents of students attending Indian schools in Oman say they are happy with the decision to put their children’s safety first, but are hoping a proper solution is found soon.

“Parents will not take the risk of sending their children to school for exams. It’s time for CBSE board to scrap the 10th board exams in the future and come up with a new format,” said Darwish Ellickal.

“The decision to postpone and cancel the exams is a good one, but I am sure parents and students will be waiting for the decisions taken by them soon, as they have all been preparing hard for them,” added Kapil Venkatachalam.

Deep Wilson, a former advisor to the Principal of Indian School Muscat, where he previously taught English for many years, also said this was the correct decision.

“As an educator, I welcome the decision by the government,” he said. “An internal evaluation process for the final class X result is the right way forward.”

“As a former student who has taken both the 10th and 12th CBSE board exams, I can understand how the students and parents would be anxious and worried about the exams and their future education,” said Mukund Manohar, president, Indian School Muscat Alumni (ISMA).

“My advice to the students would be to use this opportunity of additional time to better prepare and revise for the exams.”