Hyderabad: Unaided private schools in the state are once again at loggerheads with the Telangana State government for postponing half-yearly exams in state board schools.

The schools say that this has left them unprepared and even endangered the students prospects. Schools say they are now in a dilemma whether to take up regular studies or continue revising the syllabus.

Education minister G. Jagadish Reddy had been insisting that exams wouldn’t be postponed. Teachers’ unions had been asking the government to postpone exams citing the late beginning of the academic year.

They had reasoned that state schools would not be able to complete the syllabus on time. Half-yearly exams were to begin from Wednesday, but will now be held from January 3 to 9.

Private unaided schools say it is an unwise move. S. Srinivas Reddy, president of the Telangana State Recognised Schools’ Management Association, said,

“We have been preparing for the exams since December 1. We came to know about the postponement only recently. What does the government want us to do now?”

However, it has been learnt that many state schools have completed their syllabus, but still, teachers’ unions requested that exams be postponed.

“It has much to do with lobbying and pleasing the government teachers’ fraternity. They don’t want to work. They want to utilise their leaves before the end of the year,” sources said.

The final exam schedule has already been released and this delay leaves schools with little time. School education commissioner M. Jagadeeshwar did not respond to queries.

Now, after the half yearly exams end on January 9, the pre-finals to the Board exams will have to be held in February, leaving the schools with very little time.

The final board exams schedule has already been released. It was clear from the order issued by Commissioner of School Education, Mr M. Jagadeeshwar, that the exams were postponed based on the requests of the teachers’ unions. However, Mr Jagadeeshwar didn’t respond to queries.