Tone-deaf officials hobble music students

BU undergraduate exams coincide with KSEEB music exam

For, the Bangalore undergraduate exams would have just begun at the same time, making it impossible for them to take up the music exams.

Normally, the music exams conducted for Junior, Senior and Vidwath levels conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) division of Other Exams, fall in the last week of May. This year, the theory exams are scheduled for May 14 and 15 followed by practicals.

The undergraduate exams for Bangalore University begin in the first week of May. This presents a cruel choice for students who will be forced to attend the academic exam rather the music exam.

Hamsika V, has been practising on the violin for the past two years. Her hopes of taking her junior exams have just gotten dashed as she has to attend her BCom exams from May 2. “I thought it would be scheduled at the end of May. Now I am really confused. I can neither play nor can I read. I am just too upset,” she says.

A great miss

“Several of my students are going to miss the music exams this year. They did not even bother to check with any of us before they confirmed these dates,” complains Venkataraghavan, founder of Nagahamsa Academy of Music.

He complained that none of the music teachers who are usually consulted on these matters were taken into confidence this year. Suchitra Alakananda, founder of Samskriti Dance and Music, confirmed the same saying several of her students are in the same quandary.

“My students are tense. They have worked very hard to come to a point where they attend the exams. And, now this,” she complained.

Mir Obaidullah, Director of Other Exams, while confirming that exams were indeed fixed for May 14 and 15, ruled out changing the dates. He seemed more concerned about making it convenient for employed people to attending the exams.

“We always conduct it on weekends to make it convenient for working people, but we
cannot look at every university and their exams,” he said.

Ironically, both these exams are conducted by the State and a clash of examination dates could have been avoided with a little foresight. Minister for Secondary and Primary Education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri promised to look into the matter and decide in a day or two if the dates could be changed.