South Zone education dept officials have asked all schools to submit details of marks scored by students of that class, to determine if the Std I-VIII compulsory promotion rule, or the minimum 25% in theory rule is affecting performance
Noticing that an alarming number of Std IX students are failing to attain enough grades for promotion, the south zone Education Department has sent a circular to all government-recognised schools within their jurisdiction, asking them to send in the marks of their Std IX students for this academic session.
School of thought: The number of students failing in Std IX over the last two years has been a cause for worry in city schools. representation pic
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A copy of the circular is with MiD DAY. The south zone education office issued the circular on May 2, asking schools to provide details of the numbers of male and female Std IX students studying in their school, as well as details about how many students had appeared for the Std IX exam and how many had achieved promotion marks.
The number of students failing in Std IX over the last two years has been a cause for worry in city schools. Most parents and students attribute it to the education department’s rule, which makes it mandatory for Std IX students to score 25 per cent marks in the theory part of their mathematics and science papers. On the other hand, school principals are blaming the Right to Education rule which makes it compulsory for all schools to promote students till grade VIII, a rule which they believe is making students lackadaisical and complacent about their academic performance.
The school principals now fear that students in SSC schools, where this rule is soon to be implemented, may suffer similarly. All Std IX students, in order to be promoted, must score 25 per cent marks in the theory section of their math (algebra and geometry) and science papers. Manjur Ahmed, president of the Headmasters Association, said, “I feel that the education department thinks that many students would be failed on purpose by schools, so that all the students from their schools get promoted in the board exams. This is why the education department wants to check the details of Std IX students from all schools.”
A principal from a South Mumbai school said, “It is true that more and more students are failing in Std IX now. This is all because of the rule implemented by the education department, where a child has to score 25 per cent in theory exams. Even if he or she performs well in practicals, they will be failed unless they score the minimum in theory. This rule will be implemented by SSC schools as well this year onwards, and is sure to affect results of their students as well. Maybe schools want cent percent pass percentage for the students who give board exams, so they are holding back all weak students in class IX.”
The parent of student from Queen Mary’s High School, Mumbra, said, “Ninety five students from Std IX failed here. We complained to education officers about this. The schools explained that they failed poor students in Std IX because they want all their students to pass in their board exams.”u00a0
Failing students to shutu00a0down school?
Last year, about 90 girls failed in Std IX at the New Girls School in Thane (West), after which many parents protested.u00a0Worried parents now claim that the school is intentionally failing students, as it wants to shut down the institution.u00a0The number of students in the school has been dwindling over the years.u00a0From a healthy 1,843 in 2006, the number of students on the register from between Std V and XII has decreased to 862.u00a0Four to five divisions in the school have already been shut down.u00a0Sadhana Shinde, principal of the school, said, “It is true that about 90 students from Std IX failed last year. The reason why students are performing badly in grade IX is that their mandatory promotion from Std I to Std VIII has made them lazy.”u00a0Alhad Joshi, secretary of the People’s Education Society, Thane, said, “We have no plans of shutting down our school immediately. Our divisions are closing down because the parents wish to put their kids in English medium schools rather than our Marathi medium school.u00a0AL Misal, education officer of the Thane district, said, “If there aren’t enough students to fill a division, it gets shut down.”u00a0
Distribution of marks
Subject u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 Total marks u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0Minimum score
u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 allotted u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0for promotion
Science theory u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a060 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a015
Algebra u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a060 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 15
Geometry u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 60 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 15
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