Maharashtra asks schools to prepare data on students who appeared for exams & who did not

The department will further scrutinize the data highlighting the number of students who did not appear for exams to know how many among them are genuine students.

Maharashtra school education department has asked schools to submit data of students from classes 1 to 9 with details of the total number of enrollments. The department has also enquired about the number of students who appeared for the final exams in April and those who did not. The department informed that the data will help in tracking bogus students.

In an official circular, Director of Education (Primary) Dinkar Temkar has provided a format in which schools have to submit the data. Apart from basic details such as the location of the school, schools also have to submit their UDISE number and total number of students who appeared or did not appear for the final exams. The data was to be submitted by 2 pm on Tuesday.

The department will further scrutinize the data highlighting the number of students who did not appear for exams to know how many among them are genuine students, according to the Indian Express. The data is also expected to provide clarity on the dropout rate in schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the circular is being questioned by schools. Various schools are stating that the COVID-19 pandemic situation has increased the school dropout rate. There could be multiple reasons for a student not appearing for the exam, schools asserted. There are so many families who migrated after losing livelihood opportunities,” said a school principal in Mumbai told the media house.

Calling the deadline unrealistic, another principal told the Indian Express that, “The circular was issued on Tuesday morning, asking schools to submit the data by 2 pm. This is impossible, as schools are already on break due to summer vacation. The data does not ask for information on results. How are they expected to identify bogus students?”

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