Thiruvananthapuram: The government has clarified that the Christmas examinations in schools across the state will be held as usual, though class tests will be conducted instead of Onam exams, which were cancelled earlier. The Christmas exams will be held from December 13 to 22. The decisions were made at a monitoring committee meeting of the Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) on Tuesday.
The schools have been directed to prepare question papers and hold class tests before October 15 instead of the regular Onam exams. The question papers prepared for Onam exams should be discussed in classrooms also.
Tuesday's meeting also decided to hold SSLC and higher-secondary exams as decided earlier. A meeting of Higher Secondary, VHSE, and Pareeksha Bhavan secretaries will be held to consider rescheduling the SSLC exams from afternoon to morning.
Earlier, it was reported that government would be conducting only a half-yearly examination instead of the usual Onam and Christmas examinations. The Onam exams were cancelled as Kerala was reeling under floods last month. Several school days were lost due to the deluge and the scheduled syllabus portions could not be completed. Some of the schools were turned into flood relief camps till August 29.
Earlier, the state government had plans to shelve the annual youth festival and sports meet in view of the destruction caused by the floods. However, the educational panel decided to hold a no-frills Kalolsavam and sports meet as a three-day affair. The state school youth festival will be held at Alappuzha on December 7, 8 and 9 and the state sports meet will be organised in Thiruvananthapuram on October 26, 27 and 28.
