The reports that 32 students who wrote Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations have tested positive is not true, Karnataka Education Minister clarified on Saturday. He said that all those students who were found positive were denied to write the examamination and given assurance that they will be allowed to sit for the supplementary exam.
"The news that 32 students who wrote SSLC exam have tested positive is not true. All those students who were found positive have been denied writing the exam and they have been assured that they will be allowed to write the supplementary exam and they will be treated as Freshers. In fact in everyday news conference, each & every such incident has been explained in detail," Karnataka Education Minister S.Suresh Kumar told India TV.
Earlier it was reported that 32 students who sat for the SSLC examinations in Karnataka had tested positive for coronavirus. The Karnataka SSLC Examinations which was conducted between June 25 and July 3, were held amid a lot of opposition from both public and the students' parents. As of July 3, more than 7.60 lakh students wrote the exam, with 14,745 absentees.
As per the government data, 80 more students were being quarantined at home and primary contacts of the 32 students would also be tested and quarantined if necessary. The report stated that 3,911 students, who lived in containment zones, did not attend the examination. A total of 863 students had not attended the exams as they were unwell.
The SSLC exams which were earlier scheduled to be conducted between March 27 and April 9 were postponed by the Karnataka government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parents raised their concerns regarding the children appearing for the exams. However, the state government stuck to its decision of conducting the exams. Meanwhile, questions arose about the spread of coronavirus to other students who appeared for the exam at the same centres where the 32 students tested positive.
The Karnataka government remains confident that social distancing, thermal testing and sanitisation during the examinations would have restricted spread of the virus.
{The copy has been updated with response of the Karnataka Education Minister}
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