Senior Correspondent.TOD.Patiram
Even as the festive spirit of Durga Puja lingered, hundreds of young students across Dakshin Dinajpur returned to their books on Tuesday, sitting for a scholarship examination that offered fourth-graders an early taste of academic competition.In South Dinajpur district, 1,013 students took the examination across 15 centres at eight schools, drawing children from more than 100 government and private schools. At Patiram Girls’ Primary School, young examinees began arriving as early as 6:30 a.m., dressed in their school uniforms and accompanied by their parents.
For many, the examination meant postponing holiday outings in favour of an academic milestone.“We did very well on the first day. The questions were excellent,” said young examinees Tapadyuti Sarkar and Ipsita Sarkar, who had delayed their Puja excursions to sit for the test.Parents, meanwhile, welcomed the opportunity to take the examination closer to home. Tapas Sarkar, Biswajit Sarkar and Manoj Roy said families from the Bolla-Baul area had previously travelled about 14 kilometres to Balurghat for the examination.
They praised the Patiram centre for its organisation and thanked Dibyendu Basak, the centre-in-charge, for his efforts in making the facility accessible to local students.Basak said he had taken responsibility for the centre after considering the difficulties young children faced travelling long distances early in the morning. The examination has been held in Patiram for the past four years.
Under the supervision of the West Bengal Primary Education Development Board, the scholarship examination provides fourth-grade students with an experience resembling a formal school examination, including separate question and answer papers and the opportunity to sit for a test at another school.Basak said 153 students had registered for the examination at his centre, with 18 absent on Tuesday. Some families may have forgotten the schedule amid the holiday celebrations or travelled elsewhere, he said, adding that a few students might arrive after learning about the examination.
The examination runs from 7:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and is scheduled to continue through October 30, with results expected by the end of December.Launched in 1991 through the efforts of education-minded individuals associated with the education movement, the examination continues to rely on community support.For the children arriving before sunrise, it was more than a test. It was an early lesson in independence, responsibility and the pursuit of education.
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