SSLC preparatory: School heads, pvt schools lock horns

The Karnataka State Secondary School Head Masters Association (KSSHMA) is pressuring Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to withdraw the recent order issued by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education barring association or organisations from holding the preparatory examinations for Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) students.

According to the sources, if the order is not withdrawn, the association would land in trouble as it has already collected fees from over 2,000 schools across the state to conduct preparatory examinations for the current academic year. The association has collected Rs 45 per set (question papers of all 6 subjects).

In the representation given to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, the association stated, “We are conducting state-level preparatory examinations for the last 46 years, and this year also we have collected a fee from over 2,000 schools. Even the payment of Rs 80 lakh towards the printing of question papers has been made. At this juncture, if the government refuses to withdraw the order, we will land in deep financial trouble. Considering this, we request the chief minister to instruct the officials of the department to withdraw the order and allow us to conduct the preparatory examinations.”

Interestingly, the private schools management want Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, not the association, to hold the preparatory exams.

D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka said, “There is a big lobby of headmasters at work. The headmasters’ association has the backing of the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction at the district level. We welcome the department’s move to get the preparatory exams conducted by the Board to maintain the sanctity of the exams.”

“We (private schools management) will request the chief minister not to yield to headmasters’ lobby. We will demand the association to return the money collected for the exams,” Shashi Kumar said.

A member of the management of a Bengaluru-based private unaided school told DH, “The association office-bearers are claiming that they have requested the chief minister to withdraw the order. The association may have its way, but we want the department to stick to its stance and let the Board hold the preparatory examinations as state-level exam.”

Meanwhile, D K Diwakara, president of the association, said, “The association is yet to fix the time-table for preparatory exams. If the government refuses to withdraw the order, we will return the amount collected from schools,” he added.