Maharashtra school kids could repeat class if they fail exam

Here some not so good news for school students. The state Education department has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) at the Centre asking them to allow schools in Maharashtra to fail non-performing students from these two classes.

Nand Kumar, Principal Secretary, School Education and Sports Department, said, "We have sent a recommendation for the same to the MHRD, who will decide about any amendments. We are awaiting their response."

This recommendation is likely to affect lakhs of students across various educational boards like SSC, CBSE, ICSE and others. Sources said that as per the recommendations made by the Maharashtra Education Department, they want schools to have keep weaker students back at an early stage instead of waiting till Std 9. They have suggested that exams be held in Std 5 and Std 8, such that if a student doesn't clear the exams he or she will have to repeat the class.

City schools have welcomed the move, saying it was becoming extremely difficult for children to cope with the complicated syllabus in Std 9 after not being failed till Std 8.

Father Francis Swamy, principal of St. Mary's school, said, "The current process of no detention till Std 8 has made students, teachers and parents too casual about education. The return of detention will improve the quality of our students."

Also, it shall be the school's responsibility to ensure that the students who have failed in Std 5 and 8 to help students in the subjects they have failed in.

Speaking further on the topic, Girija Mohan, Director of Chatrabhuj Narsee Memorial School, said, "The government had never said no to examinations. Testing is a way of knowing what children have understood. And, feedback with remedial teaching is very important at the school level. We are already doing this at our school. Government policies have to be interpreted correctly."