CBSE boards: 18 in one class, isolation rooms for those with Covid symptoms

Gurgaon/New Delhi: There will be no more than 18 students in a classroom and schools will provide a separate space to anyone with Covid symptoms to appear for the Term II CBSE board exam, which begins Tuesday for classes X and XII.
Around 31,000 students will appear for the written examination at 56 centres across the city and isolation protocols will be key amid a rise in the number of Covid cases being reported daily in the city, Delhi and other parts of NCR.
“We had a detailed interaction with schools and told them about the dos and don’ts and how to conduct exams safely during this time. We laid special emphasis on identifying students with Covid symptoms and making special arrangements for them in a way that they don’t intermingle with other students and staff. Schools will have to keep separate isolation rooms for such students and their entry and exit will be different from other students,” CBSE joint secretary and controller of examinations Sanyam Bharadwaj told TOI.
Officials said that each examination centre would be paid Rs 5,000 for the purchase of infrared thermometers and Rs 5 per candidate per day for sanitisation of schools daily and for other arrangements like masks, soaps and sanitisers to ensure cleanliness. In instances where parents are suffering from Covid-19, students have been asked to take all necessary precautions.
The board will be taking a call later on what can be done for students who miss out on appearing for certain papers due to Covid-19, officials said. Results for students who were absent for their Term I examinations will be based only on their Term II results while final results for those who miss their Term II examinations will include their internal assessment marks, senior officials explained.
The board is also working on modalities pertaining to what is to be done if a student misses both term examinations. “As of date, they will have to appear next year as either a regular candidate or as a private candidate as we will not be having any data to formulate the final result. However, we are working on it to see if any solution can be provided for such students,” said Bharadwaj.
Officials also urged schools to ensure that practical examinations are held for students who have missed the same so that their marks are uploaded for formulation of the final results. Urging students to inform schools in case of discrepancies with question papers, Bharadwaj said, “If there is a problem with the question paper, instead of going to social media, inform your schools so that they inform the board and appropriate action can be taken. There is also no hard or easy paper — CBSE has a methodological system and all sets of question papers have the same difficulty level.”
CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi further said that considering the challenges and opportunities of the “dynamic situation”, schools should also plan for emergencies and not panic.
“Students and parents have been asked to be very transparent with the schools if a Covid test comes back positive. At centres, right from the entry gate to the classrooms, students will be thoroughly monitored and any suspected case of Covid shall be taken to a separate isolation room, which all schools have already set up,” said DPS Sector 45 principal and Gurgaon coordinator for the board exam, Aditi Misra.
Schools have asked their teachers to send out messages to all the parents about Covid protocols. The exam timings are from 10.30am to 12.30pm and students have been asked to report to their centres by 9.30am so that schools can ensure staggered entry.
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