HC notice to TN govt on standard operating procedure for Class 10 exams

A Division Bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and Anita Sumanth directed the Directorate of Government Examinations and Education department Principal Secretary to file comprehensive status reports/counter affidavits jointly or individually, with supporting documents dealing with all issues including SOP or the mechanism to be put in place for conduct of the examination.

The notice was issued on an impleading petition from educationist Dr V Vasanthi Devi.

The petitioner''s counsel Vaigai submitted as a result of the lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus, students hailing from moffusil, rural, rural and hilly areas and poor students would not be able to avail facilities like online coaching in the absence of regular school.

Out of the 9.44 lakh students who were slated to write the exams this year, 4.07 lakh were from government schools; 1.38 lakh from fully aided schools; and 91,918 from partially aided private schools, the educationist submitted.

Thus, 6.38 lakh students from State-funded schools having only basic minimum infrastructure would be at a disadvantage when compared to others who could afford to attend online classes, refresher courses and so on, the petitioner contended.

She further contend that students hailing from lowest strata of society and below poverty line, in order to augment the income, had started working along with their parents and guardians and therefore are not well prepared to write the examinations.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing to June 11.

The tenth standard examinations were originally slated to be conducted from June 1 before being rescheduled following criticism.