Chennai: Annual exams for Classes I-IX of govt, aided and private matriculation schools will be held from April 1-16, instead of April 10-24. Officials said the schedule has been advanced as the assembly polls areto be held on April 23.The process preceding the election involves training of teachers, polling officers and presiding officers, and requires at least a week’s time. “Several schools will be used as polling booths. They have to be readied in time for the polls,” said school education director S Kannappan. “The timetable has been released keeping in mind all of this,” he added.Staff from the chief education office said there will be three training sessions for teachers, to be held during the weekend in collaboration with collectorate, Greater Chennai Corporation and Election Commission. “The number of polling booths will be finalised, and inspections carried out. So it would be ideal if the exams wrap up on a Thursday, just before the weekend,” an official said.According to the revised timetable released by the school education department on Friday, exams for Classes IV and V will begin on April 6; Classes I-III on April 8; and Classes VI-IX on April 1. All the classes will start the exam with the Tamil paper. While classes I-V have study holidays only between two exams, Classes VI-IX have breaks between three exams.“Initially, there were talks to end the exam on April 20. But that would have resulted in a tight schedule for teachers as they have to juggle poll training and invigilation duties. Ending the exam on April 16 gives them some breathing space,” said a govt school headmaster.
