Bengaluru: The Department of Primary Education is all set to conduct public exams for class seven students studying in state-run, aided and private schools across the State from this academic year after a gap of 15 years.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar has initiated measures to conduct public exams, sources in the Department of Public Instruction said.
The minister also held several rounds of discussions with education experts, senior officials of education department, teachers, parents to ready the stage for holding public exams for class seven students.
Sources said the minister studied various reports including a Niti Ayog survey that showed declining learning levels among primary school students.
The decision to reintroduce board exams for class seven is also based on various recommendations made by agencies and surveys, sources indicated.
The government feels that reintroduction of public exams for class seven students will bring seriousness among students and parents as it will prepare young boys and girls to appear for SSLC and PUC exams. Sources said the reintroduction of public exam will also help improve the performance of students who are lagging behind in their studies at primary level.
The DPI has formed a technical committee to study the feasibility report, a copy of which has already reached the Principal Secretary of Primary Education S.R. Umashankar and minister Suresh Kumar.
The Department has made all preparations to conduct exams from the current academic year. However, there will be no “pass or fail” this year, officials said.
The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) will set the question paper and conduct the exam, while the answer scripts will be evaluated at district-level. The nature of the question paper (descriptive or multiple choice) will be decided after consulting experts, sources said.
Meanwhile, many educationists and bodies have opposed the government’s move to reintroduce public exam for class seven students citing that it violated the rights of children.
