"We will try to declare the results of PUC exams in July last week and SSLC exams in August first week," state Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar told reporters here.

 

The last PUC exam in English was held across the southern state on June 18 as it could not be held on March 27 due to the sudden enforcement of lockdown and its subsequent extension till May 31.

 

PUC board exams in other subjects were held from March 4-24 across the state. About 6 lakh students appeared for the exams.

 

The SSLC exams, which began on June 25, will be held till July 3 in about 3,000 centres across the state. About 8.5 lakh students registered for the exams being held under the Covid-19 cloud.

 

"SSLC exams in three subjects -- English, mathematics and science -- have been held so far. The fourth exam in social science will be held on July 1. Two more exams will be held in first language (mother tongue) on July 2 and in third language on July 3," board director V. Sumangala told IANS.

 

As in the mathematics paper on June 27, around 98 per cent of the students appeared for the science paper on Monday.

 

"There were no reports of any student being affected by the infection at any of the exam centres across the state," she said.

 

Instead of giving promotion to students of Class X and XII as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and other states have done, the state government decided to hold the exams defying the coronavirus scare.

 

In a related development, Kumar warned private schools across the state against increasing tuition and other fees for students in this academic year, which is yet to commence due to the extended lockdown caused by the Covid-19 scare.

 

"We got reports that about 1,150 schools across the state have increased fees and action was taken against 450 of them, as it is unfair to burden the parents when they are also affected by the pandemic," Kumar said.

 

The state education department has set up a helpline for parents to complain against schools increasing fees. An official will address the grievances of the parents and the students against such schools.