Students find it difficult to manage time in exam halls

Visakhapatnam: At a time when students find it tough to adopt to the new exam pattern, they end up experiencing another set of problems in ways they did not expect.

Owing to lack of appropriate awareness, some of the school managements and police cause inconvenience to those appearing for SSC examinations.

The rules that were not present even in the recently-concluded CBSE Board and Intermediate examinations have now been followed for the SSC exams.

Even as the officials have announced in advance that students will not be allowed into the centres with smart watches and electronic gadgets, those deployed for the Class X supervision go a step beyond the existing norms.

Students are not allowed to step into the examination centre premises with normal wrist watch. In some of the centres, the police and school management refuse to send the students with water bottles.

This has triggered a row between parents and the school managements at various centres. At Gnanapuram Jubilee English Medium School, parents who accompanied their wards got into heated arguments with the school staff and police. "If students have to drink water facilitated by the centre, they need to go to another corner of the exam hall to quench their thirst. During exam time, it will consume their precious minutes. Even if the students are carrying transparent water bottles as instructed before, they were not allowed inside the exam hall," laments M Rajini, a parent at Gopalapatnam.

Students suffering from health issues such as diarrhea, fever and dehydration are at higher risk of losing consciousness if drinks like ORS, glucose are not being carried with them. They too will be appearing for the exams. "Imagine, the plight of such students appearing for the SSC exams. They cannot carry any energy drink along with them," shares Somayajula Jyotsna, another parent.

With the new six-paper pattern introduced this year, time management plays a crucial role for the students. However, with no clocks in the examination halls and students not being allowed with wrist watches, this has become a serious concern for the students appearing for SSC exams and their parents as well as.

What seems to be a respite is that some of the centres allow water bottles but not wrist watches. "Such strict instructions of not allowing even water bottles into the exam centres were not given.

But will look into the issue and ensure that the students do not face inconvenience while appearing for SSC examinations next," says Ch. Srikanth, City Police Commissioner.

With already a couple of exams over, parents hope that their wards will write the rest of the exams comfortably.