Why a ministerial vacancy nearly delayed Class 12 Board exam results in T.N.

One of the things that students, teachers, and parents could consistently rely on in Tamil Nadu was the timely announcement of the Class 12 State Board exam results.

So this year, when the School Education Department announced that the May 8 release date would be postponed, it caused significant disappointment across the education community. The reason? An Education Minister was required to release the results, as had been the case in previous years. However, because a new government had yet to be formed then, there was no Minister to authorise the announcement, leading to the delay.

A tradition initiated by Sengottaiyan

But this had not always been the case; results were not politicised until 2018. The tradition began that year when the then School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan (then in the AIADMK) released the Class 12 results. Before this, the Directorate of Government Examinations, under the School Education Department, would release them.

Until 2017, the Tamil Nadu government released a State rank list alongside its analysis of the results. However, in 2017, the School Education Department dispensed with the ranking system, as it placed undue pressure on students and reduced their achievements to mere marks, a move widely welcomed by both educationists and parents.

After the DMK government was voted into power in 2021, the mantle passed to Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, who served as the School Education Minister. During his tenure, he personally released the exam timetables and results for Classes 10, 11, and 12. This practice only shifted during election years, such as the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

This year, however, with no government in place at the time and no School Education Minister holding the fort, the department initially decided to delay the release of the results. A verbal nod from a Minister was awaited to proceed. The department also announced that the new date would only be shared a day in advance, which left students and schools with little time to prepare for the results.

Many educationists pointed out that this wait was detrimental to students’ welfare, as it could have caused them to miss opportunities to apply early for various college courses. Some experts further argued that there was no functional need for a Minister to release the results.

The confusion surrounding the release also caught many students off guard. Those who intended to visit their schools for the announcement were unable to do so, as they were not informed in time.

Decision withdrawn

As the department faced backlash from child rights groups, educationists, and the public, it backtracked on its announcement and decided to release the Class 12 results as scheduled on May 8, in a major relief for students.

As the results were announced early that morning, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar posted on X in the afternoon, urging the School Education Department to release the scores without delay. “Taking note of concerns regarding postponement pending the assumption of office by the new Education Minister, the Governor emphasised that the timely declaration of results is in the best interest of students and should not be deferred,” the post from Lok Bhavan had said.