Ten students in Tamil Nadu were reportedly asked not to take the Class 10 board exams by their school, which apparently wanted a perfect 100 per cent pass record.
The students of the private school in Theni district have missed the first exam held on Wednesday.
"Our madam told us we couldn't take the exam as we would fail... My parents haven't had food for two days. They are not talking to me," said Swathi, breaking down.
After outraged parents complained, the Chief Education Officer of the district yesterday said that the students could take the rest of the exams at a centre in Madurai, 80 kilometres away.
But the state government has now said the students can sit for the exams in their hometown.
"Even the exam they missed yesterday will be conducted for them as an 'instant exam' so that they will not lose a year if they qualify," said Dr S Kannappan, Director of School Education.
An initial investigation by the education department has revealed that the students were not regular in classes and dropped out a few months ago. But they continued to take private tuitions from one of the teachers who, the school claims, bungled in the application process resulting in the students not getting hall tickets as private candidates.
The students will now take their Class 10 exam under the Tatkal scheme, a special provision for private students. The government has threatened action against the school for letting the students leave in the middle of an academic year and also giving them school leaving certificates.
"We may even cancel approval for class 10. Last year, too, they did something similar," an official said.
On being asked if the school did, in fact, force poor performers to sit out to improve their board exam results, another officer said, "Only a proper investigation reveal... We can't rule it out."
The students of the private school in Theni district have missed the first exam held on Wednesday.
"Our madam told us we couldn't take the exam as we would fail... My parents haven't had food for two days. They are not talking to me," said Swathi, breaking down.
After outraged parents complained, the Chief Education Officer of the district yesterday said that the students could take the rest of the exams at a centre in Madurai, 80 kilometres away.
But the state government has now said the students can sit for the exams in their hometown.
"Even the exam they missed yesterday will be conducted for them as an 'instant exam' so that they will not lose a year if they qualify," said Dr S Kannappan, Director of School Education.
An initial investigation by the education department has revealed that the students were not regular in classes and dropped out a few months ago. But they continued to take private tuitions from one of the teachers who, the school claims, bungled in the application process resulting in the students not getting hall tickets as private candidates.
The students will now take their Class 10 exam under the Tatkal scheme, a special provision for private students. The government has threatened action against the school for letting the students leave in the middle of an academic year and also giving them school leaving certificates.
"We may even cancel approval for class 10. Last year, too, they did something similar," an official said.
On being asked if the school did, in fact, force poor performers to sit out to improve their board exam results, another officer said, "Only a proper investigation reveal... We can't rule it out."