Protesting Students get failing grade in Practical Exam.
Dispatch News.
In Ambikapur, 372 students have failed the practical exam as they were marked absent. All these students were involved in the protest held a day earlier on Monday. Students were opposing the opening of Swami Atmanand English Medium School. The student said that if Hindi medium schools are closed by opening an English medium school here, then where will we go. Hundreds of children had blocked the Ambikapur Raigarh Highway. Action has been taken against these students involved.
The district administration said that the students of Swami Atmanand Excellent English School, operating in the Boys Higher Secondary School of Batauli development block, along with some local people were involved in the ruckus on the National Highway. These children were of class 10th and 12th and were violating discipline except for the practical examination. Now the District Education Officer has told 372 students that they will be considered failed in this year’s practical examination because of their absence in the practical examinations. 169 students of class 10th and 203 students studying in class 12th history, economics, physics and animal husbandry were involved in the traffic jam.
On Monday morning, in Shantipara, 30 km from Ambikapur, students came and sat on the road near the Chowk in Shantipara itself. Their school opening hours are from 10 o’clock. But instead of going to school, they came and sat on the road and started shouting slogans against the administration. Gradually, the families of these children also joined the protest. Children started shouting slogans carrying banner posters. On Tuesday also a large number of students created similar ruckus. Some are saying that few local BJP leaders were involved in instigating the students. However, on this matter, Collector Sanjeev Jha has said that the Hindi medium school will continue there as before. The English school will be set up elsewhere.