Bengaluru: Defying the Coronavirus pandemic, 98 per cent of the 7.85 lakh students of class 10 wrote their first Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) board exam in English across Karnataka on Day 1.
"Of 7,85,140 students who registered for the English paper as the second language, 7,71,877 or 98 per cent of them took the exam on Thursday in 2,878 centers across the state," Karnataka Secondary Education Examination board director V Sumangala told.
Though 8.5 lakh students registered for the board exams from June 25-July 4 in as many as 33 subjects, including optionals, Sumangala clarified that the number of those appearing for each subject would vary, depending upon how many of them had opted for it.
"The 8.5 lakh students who registered for the board exams included regulars, freshers, repeaters and private students who appeared directly and not through schools, especially in towns and villages across the state," she added.
Of the students who wrote the paper on Day 1, 12,548 were children of migrant workers, 1,438 stayed in residential hostels or schools, 998 were from containment zones, 555 from other states, 201 who had cold, cough and other symptoms and 13 who tested positive for COVID-19 though they were seated in separate exam centers.
"With the cooperation of parents and all stakeholders, the SSLC board exams began on a high note, as more than 98 per cent of the registered students appeared for the English paper across the state when many states and the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) cancelled their exams for class 10 students across the country," said state education minister S Suresh Kumar.
The minister also appreciated the students for reposing faith in the board and reporting to their respective exam centers well in time, wearing a mask, sanitizing their hands and maintaining social distancing.
"While authorities, including teachers, would do their best in conducting the remaining papers till July 4 in all subjects, we hope students and their parents would strictly follow the guidelines from the time they leave home and return from the exam centre," reiterated Kumar.
Students who missed the exam would be allowed to appear for supplementary exams in August, if they convinced the department of the reason for their absence.