The state government had decided to mass promote class 10 students in view of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.(File) The school leaving certificates of all Class 10 students in the state who will be mass promoted this academic session will mention “passed by mass promotion”. In a directive issued by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) exam secretary B A Chaudhary to all school principals Tuesday, the board has categorically mentioned that “in the current academic session, the school leaving certificate of Class 10 regular students will mention ‘passed by mass promotion’ in the “remarks” column”.
Since the Class 10 school leaving certificate is mandatory for all students, the remarks or reason for leaving the school holds prominence for students as well as schools where the students are seeking admission for higher studies. As per the GSHSEB rules, all schools have to issue school leaving certificate to all Class 10 students irrespective of whether they seek admission in the same school or a different one.
Till now, the leaving certificate of students who have cleared Class 10 mentions ‘sent for SSC exam’ along with pass.
While the school leaving certificate will mention “mass promotion”, the report cards issued to Class 10 students will say “qualified for secondary school certificate”.
Reacting to this decision by the state education board for the school leaving certificate, the Gujarat School Principals Association has requested the board for its review. The association has a meeting to discuss this matter on Wednesday.
Association President Jaiprakash Patel told the Indian Express, “For students seeking admission in diploma courses like polytechnic, it would be the Class 10 certificate that would remain with the child which he has to produce everywhere he goes, say even for a job. Now in case he has secured les than passing marks but promoted due to mass promotion is to raise suspicion and questions say after 10-15 years when no one will remember such a decision of mass promotion happened due to Covid pandemic. Thus, we have requested the board to review the decision of writing mass promotion in leaving certificate.”
The state government had decided to mass promote class 10 students in view of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The education department on June 3 had declared the guidelines for result preparation of GSHSEB-affiliated Class 10 regular students.
“Those students who fail to achieve 26 marks in each subject (out of total 80) and 7 marks out of 20, they will be mass promoted. In the report card’s result column of such students ‘qualified for secondary school certificate’ will be mentioned’,” the GSHSEB’s guidelines issued June 3 stated.
On the directions the state government, a committee of educationists was formed to formulate class 10 results. The committee after detailed discussions had suggested the evaluation process for class 10 students. Based on these recommendations, the GSHSEB had issued a government notification and issued directives to all district education officers to be passed on to all schools on the formula to be followed for evaluation of students.
Under the guidelines, the school principals are responsible for uploading results online. If there is any discrepancy detected in the evaluation and uploading of marks, strict disciplinary action will be taken against the school principals.
Based on the internal evaluation of students uploaded online, the state education board will issue mark sheets. As the evaluation will be done by schools themselves there will be no verification of marks by the board.
As per the GSHSEB’s guidelines to all district education officers, marks obtained in class 9 periodic tests and class 10 unit tests will be considered for preparation of class 10 results.
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