JAC’s 5-exams-a-day give students the jitters

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) scheduling five papers on a day is giving sleepless nights to the students of Class VIII appearing in the board examinations. The examinations are held in two shifts, with students taking two to three papers per shift.
While the examinations for Class VIII would be held on Thursday, that for Class IX was held on Wednesday,
Class VIII students will write five papers in a single day for Mathematics, Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), Social Science (History, Civics, and Geography), Hindi, English, or any other language paper.
The exam for Hindi and English will be conducted in the first shift from 9.45am to 1pm, while Mathematics, Science, and Social Science papers will be held in the second shift and from 2pm to 5.15pm.
Ashish Kumar, the father of a Class VIII student, said, “My child is apprehensive as she said it is difficult to prepare for five subjects in a day. Is the board judging the students for their mugging ability only?”
Meanwhile, the students of Class IX took six exams on Wednesday. Hindi, English, and other language subjects were conducted in the first shift, while Mathematics, Science, and Social Science papers were held in the second shift.
Amit Yadav, a Class IX student of Balkrishna Ucchhh Vidayalaya, said, “Due to the stress of taking multiple papers on the same day, I failed to recollect some of the answers and mixed up some others.”
The decision to hold four exams per day is also opposed by the teachers’ union. The state general secretary of the Akhil Jharkhand Prathmik Sikshak Sangh, Rammurti Thakur, stated, “Though the exam consists of multiple-choice questions and only 20 questions per subject, a student is required to revise the entire syllabus.”
The principal of Government Middle School, Bariatu, Nasim Ahmed, said, “The students are familiar with the format as it was used last year too.”
Meanwhile, JAC chairman Amit Kumar Mahto said, “The curriculum has been simplified. Exams are conducted according to government regulations. These examinations are crammed on fewer days to facilitate the evaluation procedure.”
Education secratery K Ravi Kumar said, “We are reviewing the issue. The format may be changed from the next exam.”