Thiruvananthapuram: The state has revived a proposal to conduct higher secondary and SSLC exams simultaneously.
The government had earlier put on the backburner this recommendation of the Quality Improvement Project (QIP) monitoring committee for schools.
The general education department finds merit in the proposal considering its administrative and financial benefits.
At present, the higher secondary exams are in the morning and the SSLC in the afternoon.
The SSLC exams for this academic year will begin on March 13 and higher secondary on March 6. Both will conclude on March 27.
Curriculum Committee member N. Sreekumar said that most probably both the exams will be held in the morning from this year itself.
"There's time for making arrangements for the same once a decision is made. Moreover, as both exams are on the same day, there are no logistic issues to be resolved," he told DC.
One of the reasons for the proposed change is the high temperatures in March. SSLC exams were held in the morning till 2015 before it was shifted to the afternoon for security reasons following a question paper leak.
Around 150 schools did not have the facility for conducting the exams together for Class 10, 11, and 12. Five or six students would have to be accommodated on a bench if they were held together, sources said.
Moreover, logistical issues like the storage of question papers would also have to be worked out.
As SSLC exams were held in the afternoon as the question papers were kept in safe lockers in the bank now. It can be accessed only after the bank opened in the morning.
