Make sure exams don’t clash with Deepavali, schools told

KUALA LUMPUR: Schools have been advised to ensure that their year-end examinations do not clash with Deepavali, which falls on Oct 27.

Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the school authorities should take into consideration the feelings of Hindus before setting the exam dates.

“School heads should look into ways to avoid a clash of the exams and the (Deepavali) celebration. The best is to start the exams a week after Deepavali.

“It is the schools’ internal matter and not a big issue. The respective school heads can move the year-end exams to at least a week after Deepavali,” Alimuddin said.

He was asked to comment on a statement by MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who had asked the Education Ministry to ensure that the exams did not clash with Deepavali.

Alimuddin said both the PMR and SPM exams would not clash with Deepavali, which falls on a Monday.

“The PMR ends on Oct 17 whereas SPM starts on Nov 5, and they do not coincide with the festival,” he said.

Alimuddin also said he had a call yesterday from Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator T. Murugiah on the same matter. - Bernama