Board exams won't be held in March: Karnataka Minister Suresh Kumar

Ending confusion over the conduct of board exams this year, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Monday clarified that the exams for classes 10 and 12 won’t be held in March.

In a phone-in programme with a Kannada news channel, the minister said that a detailed calendar of events for this academic year will be out in a few days.

The minister responded to queries from public over uncertainty in opening of schools, effectiveness of online teaching and lack of time for students to consult teachers. He tried to allay the fears and said the students preparing for board exams need not worry. “The examinations will not be held in March,” he said.

The minister assured the parents that the time table for both the exams will be finalised in a week after consulting department officials, school and teachers’ associations.

Asked about the reduction in syllabus for the ongoing academic year, Suresh Kumar said, “The syllabus will be cut according to the number of academic days available. This will also be finalised along with the exam time table.”

'Sorry, tried our best to help pvt teachers'

Minister Suresh Kumar expressed his helplessness to private unaided school teachers for not releasing a financial package. "We tried our best. But the finance minister did not agree to it as we needed at least Rs 300 crore. I feel sorry for lakhs of teachers across Karnataka who are going through the crisis," he said.