The Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar announced that students of classes 7 and 8 will be promoted without any exams in the wake of the lockdown aimed at controlling the spread of Covid 19. Class 9 students will be promoted based on formative and summative assessment during their class tests. Regarding board exams of classes 10 (SSLC) and 12 (second PUC one paper), decision will be taken after April 14.

“On March 13 we had taken a decision and issued order that there won’t be exams from class one to six and all students will be promoted. Now class 7, 8, 9 and SSLC (class 10 board) exams are before us…after discussion with officials we have decided that class 7 and 8 will not have exams and students will be promoted,” said Suresh Kumar.

Stating that there was plan to hold common evaluation exams for class 7 aimed at preparing them for higher classes, he said it was not right to do in the present situation.

For class 9 students, already formative and summative assessment have been done during class exams on the basis of that they will be promoted to class 10, he said, adding that in case any student cannot be promoted based on these evaluations, respective schools can take decision after giving a chance for the student to prove himself.

With regard to SSLC (class 10) exams and PUC (class 12) English paper that was remaining, the department will take a decision and announce the time table on assessing the situation after April 14.

He also appealed to students to remain at home and not to go out with joy of being promoted to higher class without any exams.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has announced that all students studying in Class 1 to 8 will be automatically promoted to the next class. Education minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters on Thursday the School Education department has decided there will be no detention of students from class 1 to 8.

“The department is passing on instruction to the schools (state-run and state-aided) to fully enforce the ‘no detention’ policy in all institutions for those studying up to the eighth standard, in view of the present situation,” Chatterjee said.  

Source: PTI