Board must have clarity on pre-exam rules

Students keep their phones with one of their parents outside Ruia College on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

The Maharashtra State Board's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams began on Tuesday. On the first day, there was confusion over cell phone restrictions in some colleges. While some colleges allowed candidates to keep their phones in bags outside the exam hall, a few did not even allow students inside the gate with a mobile phone.

Similar chaos was seen outside Matunga's Ruia College where students were not allowed to enter with a mobile phone. A report in this paper quoted a student as saying that she was aware that phones were not allowed in the exam hall, but was unaware that they were not allowed in bags to be kept outside the hall.

We should aim for absolute clarity of rules pre-exam. Every centre has to clarify and ratify with the Board. They then have to communicate with the students. Both Cs - clarity and communication - have to be ticked.

Exams are such a high stress time for students. Pre-exam jitters, last minute uncertainties only add to the tension. A frazzled student cannot give his best in the examinations.

It is important to remember how many students face a very challenging time even getting to their exam centres. They have to factor in last minute delays, possibility of protests, blockades, strikes and any such last minute and unforeseen events that can throw schedules and their timetables out of gear.

With such a nerve-wracking scenario entirely possible, it is up to centres and, in fact, all associated with the exam process, to make things as smooth as possible.

Mobile phones, allowed or disallowed, is a fairly simple rule but it has been made complicated because of all this confusion. We suggest a specific course before all Board examinations for exam centres and authorities on what the rules are and how they would be implemented.

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