SSLC exam gets off to a smooth start in twin districts

Students comply with dress code, while authorities permit them to wear hijab where applicable

SSLC examination got off to a smooth start with students complying with the dress code, as mandated by the State Government, in examination centres in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi on Monday. Students appeared for the 100 marks first language Kannada, English and Sanskrit papers on the first day.

Of the 28,640 students eligible for the examination, 28,423 students appeared and 217 students remained absent in Dakshina Kannada. As many as 11 students, who were found unwell, wrote the examination in special rooms. Of the 902 private students, 769 students appeared and one of them wrote it in a special room.

In Udupi, 13,558 of the 13,666 students appeared and 117 students were absent. There were 12 students who wrote the examination in special rooms. Of the 305 private students, only 212 students wrote the examination.

Deputy Commissioners of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, K.V. Rajendra and M. Kurma Rao, respectively, had issued a circular on Sunday, reiterating that students from government schools should come to the examination centres in the dress prescribed by the school.

Dr. Rajendra had further stated that a list of students of schools, which have hijab as part of the uniform, should be made available by the respective Block Education Officer to the examination centre which should facilitate students to write the exam, in hijab.

Accordingly, Muslim girls from aided and unaided schools, which have hijab as part of their uniform, were allowed to write the examination in hijab at the Karnataka Public School in Montepadavu in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada. This examination centre is among those that have a mix of students from the two categories. A total of 325 of the 327 students turned up for the examination.

“Hijab has been part of the uniform for several years now. There was no problem for our students to write the examination in hijab,” said Shameena, English teacher of the 91 students of Al Madeena School, who wrote the examination at the Montepadavu centre.