Kottayam: Heavy rain brought plenty of holidays but students in the district may have to sweat it out for Onam examinations as several portions are unlikely to be completed before them even as question papers are prepared for the state as a whole. Questions papers are prepared under the Sarvasiksha Abhiyan for high school and higher-secondary classes.

Other districts in the state did not have as many holidays as Kottayam district which saw incessant rain. Schools elsewhere could hold more classes and cover more portions. If questions are asked from uncovered portions, students from state schools in Kottayam will be at their wits' end. It is more or less certain that students from Kottayam will face questions from untaught parts of the syllabus.

Three to eight holidays had to be declared in Kottayam district due to incessant showers. Kumarakom and Vaikom areas had more number of holidays. Schools where relief camps were set up had to remain closed for up to two weeks.

Meanwhile, periodical exams have started in CBSE schools instead of the Onam exams. Most schools are making their own question papers. That gives them the advantage of restricting questions to portions which have been covered. ICSE schools also hold only periodical tests and hence have the benefit of question papers set at the school itself.

“Question papers are prepared from lessons taught for periodical exams, which means there is no major crisis. What is important now is to finish portions on time,” said Benny George, the president of CBSE Kottayam Sahodaya, a confederation of schools.

But unfinished portions pose a challenge to schools of all three syllabi. That could affect the academic calendar of the year. The first term normally has 42 working days and 25 per cent of the lessons have to be finished.

Most of the schools are finishing the portions by taking extra classes in the morning and evening. The renewed intensity of rain in the recent days has become another challenge.

Deputy director of education A K Aravindakshan said, “Lessons for Onam exams will be completed before the exams. A meeting of school head teachers was held the other day, where everyone expressed willingness to complete portions with extra teaching hours.”