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Coronavirus Lockdown: As Kerala resumes school exams, govt keeps fingers crossed

Last Updated 26 May 2020, 07:28 IST

Amidst a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases in Kerala, the state government is conducting the pending tenth-standard (SSLC) examinations and higher-secondary examinations from Tuesday.

The CPM-led Left-front government in Kerala is keeping its fingers crossed owing to concerns that the examinations, being attended by around 12 lakh students, would lead to a further spike of COVID-19 in Kerala through local contact.

High level of precautionary measures like ensuring social distancing, disinfecting schools, thermal screening and mandating the use of masks were taken by the government.

For the Left-front government, the conduct of the tenth and higher secondary examinations are posing a bigger political challenge as the decision to conduct examination amidst a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases had faced stiff political resistance. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was quite adamant in conducting the examination from May 26 itself. Even as the government at one point of time decided to postpone it to June, the state obtained the Centre's nod to conduct the exam in May itself.

Sources in the Left front said that since there would be an obvious spike in COVID-19 cases in the coming months it was a wise decision to conduct the exam at the earliest.

However, in case students who appear for exams happen to contract COVID-19 infection, the political opponents may use it to tarnish the goodwill earned by the government so far by effectively containing COVID-19.

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(Published 26 May 2020, 07:28 IST)

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