There will be no annual examinations held for students in Classes 1 to 9, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar said on April 20. Students will instead be assessed based on Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), which will be the deciding factor for their promotion.
In a statement issued in Bengaluru on April 20, the Minister said that schools have been directed to complete the assessment process by April 30, while reiterating that students must not be asked to physically attend any examinations.
He also stated that CCE should only be a tool to assess the children’s learning capabilities. This will help teachers identify the gaps in learning, which will then be addressed as part of bridge course at the beginning of the next academic year.
During the last academic year as well, following the outbreak of the pandemic and lockdown, students were promoted to the next standard without any assessment. “Promoting students without any assessment for the second consecutive year will send a wrong signal. Teachers will assess the children and address the deficiencies through the bridge courses,” he said.
The Minister, however, has stated categorically that all students in Classes 1 to 5 must be promoted. These children, following recommendation of the Technical Advisory Committee, have not attended any physical classes during the current academic year. Students of Classes 6 to 9 have attended both online and offline classes. Hence, the assessment of these students should be based on class interactions, project work, homework and learning capabilities.
Summer holiday schedule
Meanwhile, summer holidays for Classes 1 to 7 will be from May 1 to June 14, and the next academic year will commence from June 15. For students of Classes 8 and 9, summer holidays will be from May 1 to July 15. As per schedule, the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations will be held from June 21 to July 5.
The statement added that this schedule is subject to revision as per COVID-19 protocols and other directions of the State government.
