Bengaluru: In Bengaluru today, the Karnataka government has submitted to the Apex court that it has decided to withdraw examinations for Class 5, 8 and 9 boards in three districts of Karnataka for the academic year 2024-25. This decision has been made at a time when there are legal cases and controversies with educational organisations.
This decision was made when both the Hon’ble the Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India were still entertaining an appeal under the Organisation for Unaffiliated Recognised Schools. The organisation has challenged earlier orders passed by the Karnataka High Court on 22 March, which allow the state government to hold the exams for class 5, 8 and 9 as well as class 11 and 12 for the academic year 2023-24.
Earlier in the Karnataka High Court’s Division Bench had allowed the conduct of board exams. But on 6 March this decision was overturned by a single judge. After that, the Supreme Court has stay the operation of the Division Bench’s order on 8.4.2016 showing the massive disturbance created by the Karnataka state government. The stay order hence confirmed that the crisis was not only among students and parents but also among teachers and modes of school administrations.
Systems of Education in India: A Comparative Analysis
We are not alone in the country to hold a board examination before class 10 since Karnataka is one of the states. Board exams for RBSE are taken for the classes of 5th,8th, 10th and 12th. Even this year PSEB has conducted exams for Classes 5 and 8 which will held on 7 to 14 March and 7 to 27 march respectively and results for these classes was declared on 2 April and 30 April respectively. However, PSEB has now for a while chosen to scrap off Class 5 board exams.
The Tamil Nadu government dropped its attempt to conduct board examinations for class 5 & 8 in the year 2019 due to protest, which mirrors other States’ reactions to early board exams.
Consequent Effects on Students and Other Institutions of Learning
The cancellation of board exams in Karnataka’s rural districts means a challenging situation in further academic attainment and the consequent prospects. This examination situation has made the lives of thousands of students and their parents and teachers even more stressful due to the constantly changing examination timetable.
Government’s Response and Further Steps
So far, the Karnataka government had not come up with sound argument for the cancellation apart from the existing litigations. While the Supreme court has not yet made its final ruling on the appeal made by the schools, the education stakeholders in the rural region of Karnataka still wait for the final nail to be hammered onto the future of the board exams.
The act of the Karnataka government to cancel board exams for the students of Class 5, 8 and 9 in three rural administered districts becomes a regrettable episode of the state’s educational policy. While litigation continues the emphasis remains on making certain that students get consistent and equitable evaluation. The decision of the Supreme Court hearings will determine the ongoingademic landscape for the coming years in the region of Karnataka.