In a shocking incident, half yearly exam of a government school in Sambalpur was reportedly rescheduled to facilitate an Odisha government programme under Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha project.
The incident was reported from Malatigunderpur High School under Sambalpur’s Maneswar block on Saturday.
As per reports, the half-yearly exam of Class-IX students was scheduled from 10:30 am to 1 pm today. But the school authorities were forced to reschedule the exam to morning shift after a government programme under Nabin Odisha project was held on the school playground during the same time.
The exam was reportedly rescheduled so that the examinees do not get disturbed by the government programme and can write their papers peacefully.
Speaking about the incident, the Headmistress of the school, Minati Pujari said, “A government programme was going on under Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha project on the school playground. Exams were scheduled in the day shift, from 10am. But because of the Nabin Odisha programme, the exams were rescheduled for the morning shift.”
“When I received the news about the Nabin Odisha programme in our school, I knew the exams would be hampered. So, I wrote to the DEO and the BEO, who are my authorities asking what to do. They told me to reschedule the exam, so we have rescheduled it from the day shift to the morning shift,” she added.
Speaking about the ill timing and choice of venue for the govt programme, Pujari said, “I even wrote to the BDO objecting to the Nabin Odisha programme being organised in the school during exams. But I have not received any replies from him till now. So, we were forced to reschedule the exam to morning at the last minute.”
Asked about the government programme, the district Collector said, “The exams will get over by 10 am and the programme will start after that. So, there will not be any issues for the students.”
Zilla Parishad President who also attended the govt programme, said, “The school playground seemed appropriate for the govt programme to the BDO. So, he decided to hold this here.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the Class-IX half-yearly exams are being held in all the schools in Odisha at the same time and the question papers are also the same all over. Deviating from the scheduled time and conducting exams earlier in a school has raised concerns about question paper leak.