Midnapore, March 29: Students of some 20 West Midnapore schools are writing their class XI exams ? now a board exam ? on rooftops in the stifling heat because their classrooms have been taken over by paramilitary forces.

At another 20 schools, the authorities have put off annual exams by a month and suspended classes. All because of the elections and the fear of Maoists.

The government has requisitioned over 40 schools in Salboni, Lalgarh, Belpahari, Goaltore, Garbeta, Jhargram and Kotwali to house paramilitary forces for the April 17 polls in these Maoist strongholds. The jawans moved in yesterday.

“Postponed exams will mean delayed results; so the book lists for the new classes will be late,” a schoolteacher said.

“The new academic session will be delayed.”

About 35,000 students will be affected.

The district inspector of secondary schools, Prasanta Roy, said he was helpless. “We know the students are suffering, but we can do nothing.”

“We have about 1,000 students and nine classrooms. We were told to put up about 100 jawans. How can we hold the exams?” asked Radha Krishna Das, headmaster of a school in Salboni.

Higher secondary schools, however, had no choice. The class XI exams had to be held since from this year, the higher secondary council is setting the papers and the roster. So, they put the examinees on the terraces and roofs of neighbouring houses.

Santana Sarkar, headmistress of Lalgarh Saradamoni Balika Vidyalaya, said about 150 students from her school wrote the exams on rooftops.

The Lalgarh Ramkrishna Vidyapith, however, hired a hall, about a kilometre from the school.