The annual matriculation or the class 10 summative assessment II examination is currently underway. But this time also, scores of students did not turn up at the examination centres to appear for the crucial board examination. As per available information, 973 examinees from Nabarangpur district remained absent on the first day of the examination on Saturday.
Around 2155 students had not appeared for the matriculation examination last year. According to sources, the absentee students are mostly from government schools. The matriculation examination is being conducted at 79 examination centres in Nabarangpur district this year.
A highest of 196 students who remained absent during the examination are from Raighar block and lowest 54 absentees are from Chandahandi block. Sources said that around 15,533 students had filled up forms for the matriculation examination this year. Out of this, 14,570 students appeared and 973 students (including some ex-regular) did not appear the examination on the first day, informed District Education Officer (DEO), Pradip Kumar Nag.
It is suspected that as most of the students are migrating outside Odisha in search of work, there is a rise in the number of absenteeism from matriculation examination.
Educationist Satyakam Mishra said, “If a student has filled up forms, he/she might have attended classes. But a detailed inquiry needs to be conducted as it is suspected that the students who are not studying are filling up the examination forms."
"The first day's exam has just concluded and many more papers are left. So, only after all the exams are complete, a proper estimation of the absentee students can be made. The current data is not something that we or the board has officially confirmed or received. We have sought the data. After the exams conclude, we can get the specific data and find out the truth," said Odisha School & Mass Education minister, Samir Ranjan Dash
(Reported by Nabaghana Bisoi)