VITHALDAS HEGDE
The sudden de cision by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Sec ondary Education to rejig the Grade 9 final examina tion time-table has upset students and parents, who say the move has caused mental stress and disrupt ed students’ preparation plans. The Goa Board issued a corrigendum on February 25, 2026, announcing chang es to the Grade 9 Semester II examination schedule for the academic year 2025–26 avowedly due to the Corpo ration of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections fixed for March 11. According to the revised time-table, the Marathi paper originally scheduled for March 11, has been ad vanced to March 2, while the Sanskrit exam has been moved from March 2 to March 12. Students and parents expressed shock over the sudden revision, say ing it negatively affected students’ mental well-be ing. However, Goa Board chairman Bhaghirath Shetye was unavailable for comment, as he was reported to be out of sta tion. Ashok Naik, a parent from Mapusa, said, “The Goa Board showed lit tle concern for students’ mental health. Changing the timetable just four days before the exam cre ated unnecessary stress and anxiety. The National Education Policy (NEP) was introduced without proper research or con sultation with stakehold ers. The Goa Board’s deci sion worsened an already stressful situation and lacked empathy for stu dents.” Shashank Naik, a par ent from Dona Paula, said, “The sudden change caused trauma to Grade 9 students.”
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Naik said, “The Goa Board could have postponed the March 11 Marathi paper instead of advancing it to March 2, which reduced students’ prepa ration time by nine days. This defies logic. What type of preparation is Goa Board doing? It cannot play with the children’s mental condition. Every student requires time to prepare for the examinations.” Norvin Menezes from Panjim said, “The Goa Board has suddenly changed the timetable of two papers, the Marathi paper which was earlier scheduled on March 12 is now advanced to March 2 and Sanskrit paper is kept on March 12. This change affects not just Grade 9 and they did it with Grade III to VIII standards also. A paper that was to be answered on March 11 has now been preponed to March 4 due to CCP elections. The main point is that you are not giving priority to education. The CCP election is for a small area affecting just one place and the Goa Board should have re quested to reschedule the poll date. The paper which was to be answered on March 11 should have postponed to next date. They cannot prepone it because students who are preparing will get mental stress.” “The Board should have planned it much earlier. Students will be bur dened now and they will have to go through mental stress. What is most surprising is that the Panjim MLA had been education minister in the past and he should have been sensitive to the needs of the students and he should have conveyed his inputs to the Goa Board,” Menezes added. Rajeev Markande, a parent from Margao said, “The Goa Board has sud denly changed the timetable for two papers for Grade 9 students. The Mar athi paper which was to be answered on March 12 is now preponed to March 2, and this was announced just four days before the revised date. How can the Goa Board change it when it had already sent the schedule? Students were preparing for exams according to the timetable. So, it’s mental harassment that the Board changed the timetable and announced a new date four days before it. Students will now have to prepare for Mar athi paper when they were preparing for Sanskrit paper. Students will get less time now to prepare for Marathi paper. Goa Board change immediately whatever they think.”
