The government resolution (GR) requires a minimum passing score of 35 per cent
(Representative Image)
Annual exams for Class 5 and 8 students in Maharashtra have been approved, ushering in the end of the no-fail policy
Starting this academic year, schools across Maharashtra have been allowed to hold annual exams for Classes 5 and 8, and the no-fail policy has been repealed. According to a government resolution (GR) issued on December 7, students in Classes 5 and 8 will now be promoted only if they achieve a minimum of 35 per cent in the annual exams, which will be held in April 2024 and will be based on the second-semester syllabus. The exams will take place in the second week of April. As per the government resolution, the examination will also ensure that students achieve the expected academic achievement at the upper primary education level.
Students who fail one or more subjects will be allowed to retake the exam in the Vidarbha region in the second week of June and in the rest of Maharashtra in the first week of June, according to a Times of India (ToI) report.
A student is eligible for a maximum of 10 grace marks divided among three failing subjects, with a maximum of five grace marks in each subject. According to Section 16 of the Right to Education Act of 2009, no child shall be kept in the same class or be expelled from school until he or she has completed primary education through Standard 8. In June, the Maharashtra education department amended the Act based on central government guidelines, making end-of-year exams mandatory for students in both classes (5 and 8). If students fail, they may be detained in the same class, reports add.
Class 5 students will sit for a 50-mark paper with 10 marks for oral exams, while class 8 students will take a 60-mark paper with 10 marks for orals. The schools will set the questions, but the state will provide sample questions. Students in class 5 will appear for— three language exams, mathematics and environmental studies 1 and 2, and students in class 8 will take three language exams, mathematics, sciences, and social sciences.
The annual examination, re-examination, and evaluation procedure will be implemented in a quality and effective manner utilizing recommendations and improvements made by committees at the state, district, and taluka levels.
Reportedly, flying squads will make school visits in order to guarantee unbiased, clear, and stress-free testing. All guidelines and exceptions outlined in the government resolution of October 16, 2018, including those pertaining to disabled students, will be followed.
