Chennai, May 9 (BPNS)

The Tamil Nadu school education department is to probe the absenteeism in the board exams for Classes X and XII that are underway in the state.

According to the department, 2265 and 1238 students were absent for Class X and Class XII board examinations respectively. A senior official of the state school education department told IANS that the department would conduct a detailed study into such a large number of students dropping out of board examinations which, according to him is much higher than the previous years.

N. Geetha, Chief Educational Officer while speaking to BPNS said, “ The large number of students dropping out of board exams is to be probed. One of the main reasons could be the families of students returning back to their native places due to Covid -19 as several students whose families are from outside Tamil Nadu are studying here.”

She however said that the department would study in detail the reasons for the students absenting in large numbers when compared to previous years.

Sudha Krishnan, an academic while speaking to BPNS said, “ One of the factors may be the families returning back to their home states. Other than that some students may be facing difficulties in attending offline examinations after a gap. Such students must be found out and given proper counseling and bring them back to reappear for the examinations during the next opportunity.”

Tamil Nadu minister for School education, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi when contacted told IANS that the department is looking into the matter.