The lockdown, which is now one and half months old, seems to have created not only inconvenience to the general public but also attacked the powers of thinking of some people, when actually they ought to have been strengthened, as we have definitely more time to think and decide carefully on issues that affect the people. No doubt, it surely affected the mental health of many individuals, but at times it has also made some people go insane. That appears to have happened with those deciding on the Final examinations of our children.
The decision of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education to hold examinations for Class X and XII on May 21 and May 20 respectively surely has disturbed not only the concerned students but also their parents. Those responsible for this preposterous and thoughtless decision must know that they will be made accountable for the mental stress both the students and their guardians will go through and for the serious and tragic consequences which may follow.
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Let us look at the imbecility of the decisions of the so-called educators:
1. The Headmasters have been made responsible for the pick up and drop of the children keeping in mind social distancing protocol. How many buses will be needed and will be available considering that only 15 students would be accommodated in each, fulfilling the distancing norms? Further, students need to come out of the hall one by one. How long will this process take and how long will the buses take to make these trips considering that students are coming from various parts of Goa? What time will the children have to start from their homes and reach back?
2. The examination conductors must make available a medical officer from the Primary Health Centre. Some cities will have many Examination Centres. How many medical officers will be available, especially since many students may show signs of fainting, especially with masks on?
3. Since masks are made compulsory, will the students be comfortable enough to answer exams, with masks on, for three hours, in the sweltering heat of May? The Government of Goa has been playing with the lives, livelihoods and finances of the people by taking senseless decisions in the case of seafarers, labourers, Non-Residents, etc. It must be warned now not to play with the lives and careers of our children. The prefixes before the name are meaningless if one cannot decide and give proper direction to the Government.
When most, if not all, the States have not yet decided to hold examinations, why is it that the Goa Board has taken this hasty decision? Bad enough students have been stressed with delays in the examinations and surely wouldn’t want to answer them in this turbid atmosphere. Such senseless decisions cannot emanate from sane minds and perhaps they need some serious treatment or counseling. But for God’s sake, do not lead our children, their parents and Headmasters and teachers in the same path of insanity. We may have more mental cases than COVID patients.
My sincere appeal to parents is to unanimously decide that their children will boycott the exams if the Board insists in going ahead with this madness…
