Karnataka gives respite to classes 1 to 5 amid Covid and holds oral test for classes 6 to 9

Given the pandemic induced scenario, the Department of Public Instruction has set to revise the examination pattern for grades 1 to 9th for the present academic year.

The Department has decided to do away with the examination or assessments for grades 1st to 5th and set to promote all children, as the classes were not held for a few months.

However, the Department is coming up with an oral evaluation rather than a written examination for 6th to 9th grade.

Detailed and revised guidelines to conduct the examination are going to be issued on Monday, stated a senior official.

An official stated, “All these years the exams were controlled for grade fourth and on top of. Up to grade three, the scholars would are promoted supported by their learning levels. However, currently, it’s not possible to carry exams for even grade four and five as there have been no offline categories control for those children”.

The department is considering an assessment-based examination for the children of 6th grade and above.

The source also said that the private schools were conducting exams and assessments online. But, due to the lack of internet connectivity in rural areas, it has been mentioned to carry solely oral assessment for this year.

The department sources explained that two ways of assessment are mentioned already and a final one is yet to be announced on Monday along with other guidelines.

“During the discussion, two models were suggested. One was to assess students’ learning level based on their performance in unit tests conducted all these days and the second method was to conduct viva voce by calling students in batches each day”, the official revealed.

Interestingly, the non-public faculties connected to the state board have already begun holding exams and a few of the faculties area unit virtually finishing the exams. Hence, the revised guideline won’t create any distinction for personal unaided faculties connected to the state boards.

It may be recalled that the health minister Dr. K Sudhakar had mentioned that the govt has set to promote all the children up to grade 9 without the examinations. However, later this was denied by primary and secondary education minister S Suresh Kumar and by the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

In the meanwhile, teachers have expressed that it would be ideal to complete the examination quickly and announce summer vacation due to the rise in cases and also, they have been called for Covid-19 duty.

D Shashi Kumar, General Secretary of Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in the state said, “What we do is also assessed and it is called summative assessment and formative assessment. But only for grade 9, we  conduct examinations on par with grade 10 because the no-detention policy does not apply here.”