'Class XII Exam Is A Career Defining, Cancellation Will Cause Injustice To Hardworking Students': Plea In Supreme Court

The intervenor, Tony Joseph teaches in Class XII and is concerned about the future of his students.

"Class XII Board exams are the most integral exam in the life of a student. The class XII exam is a career defining and more importantly the admission to higher education institutions hinges on the result of this exam… cancelling the exams will cause injustice to the hardworking students who worked hard for the board exams," the plea filed through Advocate Jose Abraham states.

It adds,

"marking students on the basis of internal assessment and internal online exams conducted by schools will be totally unfair on the students as in the entire academic year 2020-21 hardly any teacher has seen a student physically.

The students anyhow were attending classes at home and all the internal exams were conducted sitting at their homes only, so it is not an impossible task to conduct online board exams if need be."

The Petitioner has pointed out that only after seeing the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases in April, CBSE had decided to postpone Class XII board exams. It was also stated by the Board that the situation will be reviewed on June 1, 2021.

In this backdrop it is submitted that the PIL is premature as the Respondent-authorities are yet to sit for a review of the situation. It is also alleged that adverse atmosphere is being created in order to create pressure on the Board to take the decision of cancelling the exam.

The Petitioner states that a big section of educationists and heads of institutions apart from students and teachers are in favour of conducting exams. They also suggested that a delay of 3-4 months in life means nothing to a person in the long run, and therefore exams must be conducted.

"Respondents themselves had geared up for conducting the Boards and the circulars released as late as in the month of March indicate to that aspect. Hence, a decision to scrap the exam will be totally prejudicial to the interest of lakhs of Class XII students," the pela states.

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