Candidates to face music in school

LUDHIANA: Lack of coordination between district education office (DEO) and the school authorities at Guru Nanak Public (GNP) School Sarabha Nagar may cause inconvenience to over 500 candidates who are appearing for the examination for the recruitment of revenue patwari and canal patwari on Sunday, at this school which is one of the examination centres.
While school authorities maintained that the school was made the examination centre without taking Principal's consent, DEO officials maintained that the school was informed well in advance.
Principal Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, Mona Singh said, "On Thursday, I received a mail from district education officer asking me to come for a meeting on Friday related to the examination. I sent my clerk along with the invitation card of Gurpurb celebration as proof to convey school's inability in conducting the exam in the school. But the officials refused and remained adamant that examination centres cannot be changed."
Singh added that she later made a request to the DEO mentioning about the kirtan which was to be performed in the school on Sunday and also informed deputy commissioner Rajat Agarwal about the issue. Subsequently officials of education department visited the school but the center remained unchanged. She also claimed that the education department did not take school's consent before choosing it as an examination center.
"Before making a school center, officials ought to get consent letter signed from the head of that institute who is the controller of that examination. But no such letter was signed by me," she claimed.
District education officer (secondary) Paramjit Kaur Chahal however claimed that a mail was sent to GNP School, along with other schools, to intimate about the examination centers in the beginning of the month itself. Mona Singh however denied having any prior intimation and added that the school autorities had suggested that examination could be conducted in the primary section of school, which was hardly one kilometer away from the main campus, but it was not accepted.
DEO Chahal meanwhile added that the roll numbers along with the address of examination center have been sent to all the candidates and it was not possible to change center at the eleventh hour.
"We have chosen rooms, which are far from the function hall so that the candidates are not disturbed. Also the doors and windows of classrooms would remain closed for the same purpose," he added.
More than 13000 candidates are appearing for the examination in as many as 31 examinations centers in city on Sunday.