On Saturday, the news broke that a Class 10 student in Hassan, Karnataka who wrote the Secondary School Leaving Certificate examinations being conducted in the state has tested positive for COVID-19. After testing positive, the student even appeared for his second exam on Saturday.
Even as 25 students were quarantined in Bengaluru following the recently conducted II PUC exam, now a student in Hassan has tested positive for the virus. This comes as the state has faced a lot of criticism for putting children's lives at risk for the virus.
SSLC exams in Karnataka
The Karnataka government has gone ahead after much debate with conducting the SSLC exams in the state. Despite the criticism and high risk, the state insisted that this was an important move for children's right to learn. The main concern was that this would expose children to the virus, which has taken 15,731 lives in the country so far and has affected over 11,000 in the state.
Now, the fears of many parents have come true as a student in Arkalgud, Hassan district has tested positive for Coronavirus while writing the SSLC exam conducted on June 25th. The student despite testing positive for Coronavirus appeared for his second exam on Saturday.
The results of his test came after finished writing his exam. The Commissioner of Public Instruction has said to The News Minute that adequate measures will be taken. The education department will be filing a report on the case and will take adequate measures to contain the virus.
The government have separated students from containment zones in different classrooms. Moreover, the government also allowed the option for COVID-hit students to take the exam again after two months. But, the lack of responsibility and the risk is what is concerning for parents.
Over 8.45 lakh students in Karnataka are sitting the state-wide exams. States like Telangana and Tamil Nadu have also cancelled the exam altogether due to the risk of the pandemic. However, the Karnataka government's highly debated move seems to be something they sticking to despite warning signs. The CM also ruled out another lockdown, even as cases have risen rapidly in the past week.
