How about writing school examination from home? The idea might have sounded ludicrous a few months ago, but it is fast gaining acceptability at a time when Kerala is reeling under the coronavirus scare.

The 'stay-at-home' examination appears to have gained traction after the State government recently shut schools to avoid students' gatherings and check the spread of coronavirus.

Among the few schools to pounce on the opportunity are Mar Baselious Public School and Life Valley International School in Kottayam district. Both the schools are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

At Mar Baselious, the first such examination will be held on Monday (March 16). The exam, which is limited to Class 8 students, will conclude on March 27.

On each exam day, an SMS will be sent to the parents' mobile with a link to access the non-editable question papers. Students have to write their answers on foolscap papers. Parents will invigilate their children and collect the answer sheets after the stipulated time. Parents should submit the answer sheets at the school on March 28, a day after the last examination.

“We believe in the importance of examinations and that is the reason for conducting 'stay-at-home' tests. We trust parents as our partners in ensuring the sanctity of the exam. Children are advised to take the test ethically and honestly,” school principal Nini Abraham said.

“Teachers will be available during the exam time to clarify doubts from parents and students. Hard copies of the question paper will also be made available for those who are unable to download the papers,” she said.

'Trust exams'

At Life Valley International School, the exams are known as 'trust exams' because they also test the character of the students.

Students from Class 4 to 8 are taking the examinations, which began on Monday (March 9), a day before the government declared shut down.

The school follows a format that is more or less similar to the one employed by Mar Baselious School, but the major difference is that teachers will randomly call parents to check how students are faring.

“I shared the idea with my colleagues during a teacher training programme. My colleagues backed it wholeheartedly. The questions papers were ready with us,” said school principal Mareena Sebastian.

Despite the enthusiasm, the teachers were uncertain about the feasibility of the exams. “Our technical team took up the challenge and we were able to get it up in no time,” she said.

“Students' safety is of the utmost priority, but examinations are important too. Not because they let one move up a grade, but in that it helps one form an accurate assessment of oneself. It is also an avenue to build one's character by instilling the right values – in this case, honesty,” she said.

She said it was an opportunity to make a positive difference with technology. “We are all head-over-heels in implementing technology into our daily lives. In this time of crisis, we have shown – to us and our students – that anything can be possible,” Mareena, who is also the founder-director, said.

Applause from parents

The response from the parents too have been phenomenal. Onmanorama reached out to Tency Jacob, the parent of three students at Life Valley.

“My kids were uncertain at first, but the school authorities were prompt with their messages and kept us all clued in on what was happening. It avoided a lot of needless tension during this crazy times that we are in. Also, the examinations, although time-bound, could be taken any time. So my kids did theirs in the evening after I had come back from work,” Tency said.

The messages from school did not warn students against malpractices. All it said was that they trust students.

“This positive messaging deserves an applause. Exams are not just about scoring marks. It should also instil life values in children. This was an avenue for that,” Tency said.

The mindful efforts that the school takes, like arranging for a teacher to video-call the student/parent before the exam, have come as a big support for Tency whose first child is a special-needs student.

Though she says this method is convenient for the parents, students may tire of it sooner than most.

“With three kids (from the same school) at home, it's not a problem. They have their exams together and have fun after. But for a single child, it will be difficult. Children must be amidst their friends, in a social setting that only school's provide best,” Tency said.

Even Mareena is of the opinion that this method, however novel, is but a temporary measure. Things will be back to normal and we will have examinations done from school again.

Not a new one

Stay-at-home examinations are not new to the students and parents at the Global Public School in Kochi. For, the school has been conducting internal tests in this format for the last three years.

“For Classes 3 to 8, questions papers are made available on our website for a specific time period and students are urged to download them, take the exam and deposit their papers at the school. We insist that they take the paper version because for them, 'writing' the exam is important,” school principal Sreekumar Kartha said.

“We have online tests and classwork for students in Class 9 and 11. We do this through Google Classrooms,” Sreekumar added.

“In both cases, we entrust parents with the task, but we also encourage students to be self-driven. Honesty cannot be taught, after all. It must be cultivated,” he said.