Candlelight exam in Howrah school
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It was a surprise they had not bargained for. Sitting for their first major exam, 100-odd Madhyamik examinees were in for a shock when the centre - Howrah Haat High School - plunged into darkness at 11.55 am following a power cut. The exam resumed 20 minutes later in the dark rooms with dim candlelight. And to rub salt into their wound, the observer present - Abdul Rahim - did not allow the students any extra time.
Power supply to the school tripped when students of Ramkrishna Sikshalaya and Gurunanak High School had just settled down to answer their Bengali second paper. The school is located in the congested Howrah Maidan locality and has several dark classrooms that have poor ventilation.
“Following the power cut, the classroom plunged into darkness. There was no way we could write the paper,” said Ramkrishna Sikshalaya student Somnath Pal.
At first, the school authorities thought it was a minor interruption and power would be restored soon. When they contacted CESC officials, they were even assured that the fault would be corrected within five minutes. But with the minutes ticking away, students and parents began to panic.
“Some parents managed to procure battery-operated emergency lights from the locality. But these were insufficient. Classrooms 6, 7 and 8, located on the second floor, were the worst hit as they don’t have any windows. I was in room no 7 that was absolutely pitch dark,” recalled Ramkrishna Sikshalaya student Ujjal Mondal.
His mother Aparna, who with other guardians, was waiting outside the school gate, said: “We were waiting anxiously for the CESC staff to arrive, but they were nowhere in sight. Some of the parents were making frantic phone calls to get the authorities moving,” she said.
When power did not return after 15 minutes, some parents rushed in with candles. Ultimately, the exam started 20 minutes behind schedule at 12.20 pm. One candle was provided for two students on each desk. “After half an hour, my eyes began to ache, but at least we wrote the exam,” said student Babloo Sapui.
The candles continued to burn till 1.45 pm. It was only then that power supply was temporarily restored. Though no CESC officials visited the school premises during or after the disruption, sources said its mechanics had trouble locating the fault as the power line in the locality is underground.
Power supply to the school tripped when students of Ramkrishna Sikshalaya and Gurunanak High School had just settled down to answer their Bengali second paper. The school is located in the congested Howrah Maidan locality and has several dark classrooms that have poor ventilation.
“Following the power cut, the classroom plunged into darkness. There was no way we could write the paper,” said Ramkrishna Sikshalaya student Somnath Pal.
At first, the school authorities thought it was a minor interruption and power would be restored soon. When they contacted CESC officials, they were even assured that the fault would be corrected within five minutes. But with the minutes ticking away, students and parents began to panic.
“Some parents managed to procure battery-operated emergency lights from the locality. But these were insufficient. Classrooms 6, 7 and 8, located on the second floor, were the worst hit as they don’t have any windows. I was in room no 7 that was absolutely pitch dark,” recalled Ramkrishna Sikshalaya student Ujjal Mondal.
His mother Aparna, who with other guardians, was waiting outside the school gate, said: “We were waiting anxiously for the CESC staff to arrive, but they were nowhere in sight. Some of the parents were making frantic phone calls to get the authorities moving,” she said.
When power did not return after 15 minutes, some parents rushed in with candles. Ultimately, the exam started 20 minutes behind schedule at 12.20 pm. One candle was provided for two students on each desk. “After half an hour, my eyes began to ache, but at least we wrote the exam,” said student Babloo Sapui.
The candles continued to burn till 1.45 pm. It was only then that power supply was temporarily restored. Though no CESC officials visited the school premises during or after the disruption, sources said its mechanics had trouble locating the fault as the power line in the locality is underground.
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