Coronavirus: Board exams postponed, school staff relieved till March 31 in Punjab

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 19

The Punjab Government on Thursday ordered postponement of all school examinations and announced that staff of all schools will be relieved till March 31 amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) postponed all board examinations scheduled between March 20 and 31st—amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The board in its official communication stated that practical board exams—for Class 8 and written examination for Class 5, 1O and plus 2—have been postponed until March 31.

New dates for the examinations would be notified later on the website, said the board.

School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla said to avert the threat of virus contamination, Punjab Government has decided to restrict the activities of all government, semi-government and private schools in the state.

“Apart from postponing the examinations, the school staff has also been relieved with immediate effect,” he added.

The Cabinet minister said to curb the contamination of Covid-19, the state government has been working tirelessly as Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also been personally reviewing the situation.

He added that the education department has also decided to voluntarily offer the school buildings for isolation wards as per the requirement in case of any critical situation.

He said once the health department requisites the building, it would be immediately evacuated.

Singla said apart from restricting the movement in the schools, an intensive awareness drive has also been launched in the state today onwards.

He added that the teams led by health department staff and other officials were visiting each and every household in villages and cities to make the residents aware of the coronavirus.