State Education Board to inspect centers and cancel those not meeting criteria
Dharamshala – The Himachal Pradesh State School Education Board is set to close examination centers that were opened during the Covid-19 pandemic to facilitate social distancing. These centers, which were established to ensure student safety amid the pandemic, will now undergo a thorough inspection to determine their viability. Examination centers that do not meet the required criteria will be cancelled.
The Board, which conducts annual exams for classes 10th and 12th, currently manages around 2,250 examination centers across the state. During the pandemic, many of these centers were created to accommodate fewer students while adhering to social distancing guidelines. However, these centers were not thoroughly inspected at the time, and certain formalities were overlooked.
Dr. Major Vishal Sharma, Secretary of the School Education Board, stated that an inspection committee would be formed to assess the condition of these examination centers. The committee will review whether the centers meet the formal requirements and standards necessary for hosting students during the examination. Centers failing to meet these criteria will be closed, and students assigned to those locations will be moved to nearby schools for their exams.
Inspection to Ensure Proper Standards
Many of the examination centers opened during the pandemic were created on an urgent basis, and some have since raised concerns over their lack of inspection and adherence to formal procedures. The inspection committee will focus on identifying any flaws in these centers and ensuring they meet the set standards for examination centers. This step aims to streamline the examination process and maintain the quality and safety of examination venues.
Students currently registered at these examination centers may experience changes in their exam venues. The Education Board has assured that affected students will be reassigned to the nearest school, minimizing disruption to their examination schedules.
The move is seen as a necessary step in ensuring that examination centers are up to the mark and capable of providing a safe and conducive environment for students during their exams. This development follows the significant changes made during the pandemic to accommodate students, and now, with conditions returning to normal, the board aims to consolidate and improve its examination infrastructure across the state.
