The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) made an announcement on Tuesday regarding the administration of the annual examinations for students in classes 5 and 8 who are affiliated with the Karnataka State Evaluation and Assessment Board (KSEAB). This initiative will be implemented starting from the current academic year.
Education department officials have stated that this decision is part of the government’s strategy to assess students’ progress and performance at the elementary level throughout the entire academic year. It aims to instill greater seriousness among students and address the learning setbacks caused by the pandemic. Previously, students were evaluated using the ‘Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation’ model, but starting from the next academic year, they will undergo year-long assessments.
Given that state board-affiliated schools have already completed half of the 2022-23 academic year, the government will only conduct the annual examination based on the curriculum taught during the second half, which spans from November 2022 to March 2023.
The annual examination is scheduled to take place between March 9 and March 17, 2023. According to the DPI, the evaluation process will commence on March 21, and the results are anticipated to be announced between April 8 and April 10.
In collaboration with the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT), the KSEAB will also develop and distribute model question papers to students by the second week of January. These model papers will be based on the ‘learning recovery’ program aligned with the state syllabus.
The question papers for the annual examination will carry a total of 50 marks, comprising 10 marks for oral tests, 20 marks for multiple-choice questions, and 20 marks for descriptive answers. The duration of the examination will be two hours. The remaining 50 marks will be awarded based on the assessment of results in Formative Assessment (FA) 1, FA 2, and Summative Assessment 1 examinations.
Regarding the policy for student retention, an official stated that the school education department, following an amendment to the Right To Education Act, will ensure that any student who fails to attain the minimum required marks will receive special training in remedial classes and will have the opportunity to take a re-examination in the subsequent months.
It is important to note that this is not a board exam, but rather an assessment designed to identify areas where a child may need additional support and intervention. DPI commissioner Vishal R. emphasized that the objective is to help students catch up on their learning. There will be no detention of students, and even if a student does not achieve a passing score in the supplementary exam, they can continue to the next grade, with teachers addressing any learning gaps as a priority.
Shashi Kumar D, the general secretary of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, expressed support for the government’s decision to introduce annual examinations and enforce the RTE Act’s amendment allowing students to progress to the next level without detention. However, he suggested that the government could have implemented this change starting from the next academic year, citing concerns about textbook availability in many private schools.