The yearly problem of Deepavali falling during/before/after school exams won’t go away anytime in the future. Deepavali always falls in the month of “Aipasi” (roughly between October 15 and November 15 each year). This is the time when schools conduct their exams, since year end school holidays will start somewhere in the 3rd or 4th week of November.

As such, we also hear grumblings and complaints from parents, teachers, and students every year when Deepavali comes near. Have there been any effort by anyone (like MIC or MHS) to check the schools examination window period at the beginning of the year and advise the ministry accordingly? Or is it always a knee-jerk affair?

This year’s political landscape upheaval means the political parties need to milk as much as publicity in order to stay relevant and fresh in the mind of the community. Actually, I feel that the year 2008 is when the community is starting to take the parties for a ride. I guess MIC have learnt (or still learning?) the lesson, but perhaps the Pakatan Rakyat trinity will need a jolt next year to remind them who’s the boss.

That’s why this year’s Deepavali – school exam clash was mentioned by no less than Samy Vellu. He said that MIC will request the Education Ministry to move the final exams by a week, so that it start a week after Deepavali. Initially, the exams are to start on October 28, a day after Deepavali.

The MIC will request the Education Ministry to move the final year school examinations scheduled to start on Oct 28 to at least a week later, said party president, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu. This was because it would affect students who would be celebrating Deepavali on Oct 27, he said.

“Conducting the examinations a day after the festival would cause hardship not only to the students but to their parents as well,” he added.

“I hope the Education Ministry will consider our request because the students may not be able to celebrate Deepavali as they will be under stress,” he said in a statement here today.

Samy Vellu said he would write to Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein to consider the party’s request. He said many parents and students complained to him that the examination dates were too close to Deepavali.

It was reported that many schools, especially in the Klang Valley would hold final examinations a day after Deepavali. Samy Vellu said it was important for all to be aware of the sensitivities involved when making decisions.

Following the request by MIC, the Education Department replied that schools have been “advised” (Not “ordered”) to ensure that the year-end exams do not clash with Deepavali. Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said 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.”

Obviously, it doesn’t clash, but just comes a day after the festival. So, if just shift by a day, it will still difficult for folks to balik kampung. I guess a week later will be good (more time to revise too!).

Now, few issues may arise from the state by Alimuddin. We may (MAY) hear complaints from teachers that later exam dates means the marking of exam papers will drag a week and this will clash with their personal plans or other school activities or even SPM exam invigilating Secondly, we will have some schools who choose to ignore the “advise”, especially those with small number of Indian students. Of course chinese schools and religious schools would not be affected by this advise, but what about the others.

Secondly this problem may also affect our local universities and other higher education institutions. So, who monitors that? Does this years, semester exams clash with Deepavali period?

Now, not many reported that another politician also made a similar call. I heard it on the radio when it was announced that Deputy Minister Murugiah also approached the Education Ministry on the clash of dates. He, on virtue of overseeing Public Complaints Bureau can easily act on the complaint made by a parent.

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

So, we now have two politicians fighting over our makkal’s hearts (and votes).

There’s two things to be learnt in this issue.

1. The lack of sensitivity of the school heads in arranging exams to start on a day after Deepavali. The muruku may not have been even digested and Ah Chong had to sit for exam. Give the guy a break man! Where’s your sense of semangat muhibah? Its OK if you don’t care about the Indians, but think about all those food being wasted because the rest of the non-Indians students have to cram over books instead of munching muruku and drenching their thosai with spicy chicken curry (damn! I’m getting into Deepavali mood now!). When else can you get the home cooked Indian food? Definitely not during Hari Raya or Chinese New Year. Its once a year opportunity, so don’t miss it.

2. The possibility that in the future, Deepavali may not even be a public holiday for us. Bearing in mind the population imbalance, this is a very real possibility in perhaps 30 years time. Its possible that some Malay, Islamic, Indonesian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Fillipino festival will substitute Deepavali.