Plus Two private candidates in a spot

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JUNE 4. Lack of effective coordination between the Directorate of School Education (DSE) and the other directorates of higher education has jeopardised the fate of nearly 71,000 students who had appeared as private candidates in the Plus Two examinations this year.

With the DSE planning to release the results of the private candidates on June 14 and the Anna University stipulating June 16 as the last date for submission of applications alongwith examination and entrance marks for aspirants of engineering courses, those who had taken up improvement examinations as private candidates, with an aim to better their previous year's performances, have been pushed to an unenviable position of forgoing their options.

It has virtually become impossible for the students to conform to the directions of the Anna University, within a couple of days after publication of results, especially when June 15 happens to be a Government holiday on account of Meelad-un-Nabi, their parents say. While it might be within the ambit of possibility for the students of Chennai and nearby districts to furnish the particulars with the Anna University on the same day, for those in the southern districts in the State, it is impossible to comply with the norm, even if the students travel to Chennai as soon as the results are announced. At least in the case of medical courses, there is some breathing space as the last date for furnishing the particulars with the Directorate of Medical Education has been announced as June 19.

The very logic behind the system of ``improvement examinations'' has been subjected to a mockery, say the private candidates, whose plight has been made pitiable even after having waited for one full year, during the crucial part of their academic life. Though the strike resorted to by the postgraduate teachers is certain to be forwarded as the reason for the delay, the students are at a loss to understand why the publication of results for the private candidates should not precede or at least coincide with the results for regular students, considering that they constitute only a small proportion.

The private candidates suffer on another count as well. They are unable to secure admissions to the arts and science colleges, where the deadline for issue and receipt of applications is upto 10 days from the date of publication of the Plus Two results. As per the announced schedule, the private candidates would be getting their results four days after the completion of admission formalities in the arts and science colleges.

Even in such colleges, the demand for the courses occur in the order of their perceived importance. Quite expectedly, most of the bright students wrest the top notch courses, though many among them would be leaving mid-way to join the professional courses, the counselling for which would commence only during July every year. In the process, many deserving students are denied the opportunity to join the courses of their choice, as they would have settled in other courses by then.

Academicians say that this factor could be remedied if the Directorate of Collegiate Education commences its admission process after publication of the counselling ranking list for the professional courses.

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