Just can146;t jump board

This is one tough lesson the Maharashtra Education Department wants to drive home. Fed up of the poor results of Class IV students, it has i...

This is one tough lesson the Maharashtra Education Department wants to drive home. Fed up of the poor results of Class IV students, it has introduced a board examination for Class IV students for promotion to the next class, apart from the finals.

Expectedly, there are howls of protests from both parents and the already overburdened teaching community. But the department says that there8217;s no other solution to 8216;8216;slipping standards8217;8217;.

To be promoted, Class IV students will now have to clear a compulsory 300-mark board examination, starting February next.

The department has approved rules for the School Certificate Examination to test IQ-cum-textbook know-how of 23 lakh Class IV students of all mediums from all 70,000 aided, unaided and recognised primary schools in the state.

Some three lakh students fail every year in this class in the state. And only 11 lakh of the 23 lakh students make it to the SSC level.

The first 4,000 meritorious students will be eligible for scholarships. But that8217;s only after clearing a three-hour set of 50 questions each on languages and social sciences 70:30 mathematics 50 questions, 100 marks and 50 questions on IQ plus General Knowledge 50:50.

The multiple-choice question papers will be phased over a day, with languages and social sciences in the mornings, mathematics post-lunch and IQ plus GK after 3 pm.

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8216;8216;The annual examination results of students who do not appear for the Board should not be declared. The appropriate record should be noted on the school leaving certificate,8217;8217; says a government resolution released on July 15.

The only concession for students absent because of 8216;8216;acute emergency8217;8217; is to chase education officers of the district or municipal corporation who now have the authority to decide promotion to Class V.

Results will be declared two months after the examination and the assessment will be computerised. A minimum 30 per cent and an overall 35 per cent is called for, but the score will not replace the annual examination.

Results of each school will be aggregated separately as a marksheet of the school8217;s performance for state appraisal. 8216;8216;We have been facing allegations of auto-promotion and dip in quality. Neither are teachers teaching nor are students serious,8217;8217; says school education secretary J.M. Phatak.

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The new examination fees will also fetch a substantial sum with 23 lakh students shelling out Rs 40 each. That includes Rs 5 in application fees and Rs 5 in marksheet fees per student.