The Indian education board, CBSE released a circular on March 15, Sunday announcing it would be cancelling all board exams for Class XII students living in the Middle East amid the escalating regional tensions.
In the circular, the body said all exams of Class 12 from March 16 to April 10 would be cancelled for students from Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The board further notified that the mode of declaration of Class 12 results in these countries would be announced in due course.
The decision came after a review of the ongoing conflict between Iran vs the US-Israel war, regional conflicts and concerns about the well-being of the students.
In a circular released on March 9, CBSE said it had decided to delay the exams planned between March 12 and March 16 across the region.
According to the board, the decision was taken after a “critical review” of the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war, as well as the “mental agony” and stress students face as they prepare for examinations.
What lies ahead?
While the move brings relief to the anxious students, prepping for the exams on a strict schedule, it also raises some questions. Especially for those, whose university admissions, scholarships and entrance exam timelines hinge on their final board scores.
Fathima Zeba Navas, an 18-year-old student added that the uncertainty around the evaluation method had added to an already stressful year. Having completed two of her papers, she worried that her score would be determined using the marks from the subjects she found perfectly challenging.
“They might calculate it based on the average of the first two exams, Physics and Chemistry, which are two of my three toughest subjects. That adds to my anxiety. On top of that, with the current crisis, even the NEET exams in May might not happen, and that could affect my entrance prospects as well,” said Navas who had been planning to join MES College of Engineering in Kerala.
For Apurva Ranjit, the decision brought relief after weeks of tension. “Honestly, I feel relieved. The board exams are so stressful, they determine our future, especially in Grade 12,” she said.
She said the board could look at previous models used during extraordinary situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
