Karnataka High Court (File photo | Debdutta Mitra, EPS)
BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court on Saturday directed the state government to keep in abeyance the examinations to be held on March 13 and 14 for students of classes 5 and 8 by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) for the academic year 2022-23. The court requested the state government to issue advertisements in the print and electronic media in this regard.
After completing oral assessments, the KSEAB was ready to conduct examinations on March 13. Hall tickets were issued to 18.47 lakh students appearing for assessments in 68,117 schools.
Meanwhile, the single judge on Friday quashed the circular issued on December 12, 2022, by the Department of School Education and Literacy for conducting assessments for students of class 5 and 8 studying the state syllabus as the prescribed procedure was not followed. Against this order, the state government approached the division bench.
“Though we have heard it in length, we do not have the benefit of the order passed by the single judge and hence, we are unable to appreciate the reasons that have gone far behind quashing the circular,” said a division bench of Justice G Narendar and Justice Ashok S Kinagi while adjourning the hearing of the appeal filed by the state government to March 14 for consideration of interim prayer.
The court said, “We find that the examination does not appear to be a terminal examination or in other words an examination which in any manner impacts the advancement or progression of a child to the next class. The circular has made it amply clear that the results of the evaluation of the paper will not harm the prospects of the child to progress to the next class.”
