Onam celebrations clash with Class 8 exam after Kerala reschedules paper

Thiruvananthapuram: Class 8 students in Kerala will have to sit for an examination on the day several schools are scheduled to hold their Onam celebrations, following a rescheduling of the school examination timetable.

The Malayalam Second Paper examination for Class 8, originally scheduled for the afternoon of August 20, has been postponed to August 21.

Several schools across the state have planned their Onam celebrations for August 21, which is also the day on which schools are scheduled to close for the Onam holidays.

The Department of General Education revised the timetable following criticism that holding examinations for Class 8, 9 and 10 students simultaneously was creating practical difficulties for schools. As part of the revision, the Malayalam Second Paper examination for Class 8 was shifted to August 21.

The Kerala government had earlier announced the schedule for the 2026–27 academic year's Onam terminal examinations and the subsequent Onam holidays.

For Lower Primary (LP), Upper Primary (UP) and High School (HS) sections, the Onam examinations are scheduled to begin on August 13. For Higher Secondary students, the examinations will commence on August 14.

The examinations for all sections were originally scheduled to conclude on August 20. Schools will close for the Onam break from August 21, although the day will remain a working day as per the academic calendar.

As a contingency arrangement, if a government holiday is declared on any day scheduled for an examination, the examination for that day will be conducted on August 21.

Schools across the state are scheduled to reopen after the Onam holidays on August 31.