KVs to promote failed class 9, 11 students

Prayagraj: Giving several schoolkids another chance at a bright future, Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) across the country would promote class IX and XI students who failed to pass their final examinations. The failed students would not have to appear for a re-exam, but will have to submit a project in the subject in which they couldn’t score the passing marks.
As per a letter signed by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) joint commissioner Piya Thakur, if a class IX or XI student fails even in all five subjects, he or she would be assessed on the basis of a project submitted by the student and promoted to the next class.
However, this would be a one-time measure taken by KVs in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, class IX and XI students who have failed one or two subjects used to appear for a supplementary exam. They would have to clear it to get promoted to class X or XII. If the student failed to score passing marks in more than two subjects, he/she would have to repeat a year.
According to rough estimates, around 30% students in class IX and 20% in class XI fail to score passing marks and be promoted to the next class in KVs every year. This year, KVs had earlier announced that those who failed even in more than two subjects would be allowed to appear for a re-test. They would be promoted to the next class, if they score the passing marks.
“The high percentage of students failing in class IX is because of the ‘no detention policy’ followed by KVs till class VIII. They are not allowed to fail a student till class VIII. When a student reaches class IX, their potential is tested for the first time and they get an idea about their calibre,” said former assistant commissioner of KVS PK Tiwari.
However, as conducting re-tests is not feasible this year because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the students have been asked to submit projects instead.
The results of these students would be declared by July 20.
The joint commissioner’s letter mentions that the decision has been taken as Central Board of Secondary Education has also recommended that schools conduct online/offline/innovative tests for providing remediation to failed students and that the re-test can be conducted in all subjects in which students have failed.
The topics for the projects should be from the curriculum of the respective classes and should have an element of inquiry, exploration, reasoning. They may also include data collection and its interpretation.
Students would be provided about a week’s time to submit the project online. KVs would intimate the students about the projects independently.
“We would be asking our students to submit the project online and they would be assessed on the basis of their individual efforts. This is an extraordinary situation and because of this such extraordinary steps are being taken for the welfare of the students,” said principal of KV’s IIIT-Jhalwa branch Vijejesh Pandey.