School Education and Literacy Minister BC Nagesh on Sunday, October 9, clarified the issue of conducting examinations for Class V and VIII students, saying they will be more like evaluations.

The Minister told the media that there is no intention of conducting the exam on the same model as the SSLC Board and the department is considering conducting evaluations for Class V and Class VIII students. He said the issue will be discussed during the next departmental review meeting on October 13. “We are not thinking of conducting any exam. Instead, we are considering an alternative way of evaluation. A more clear image will be given after the meeting in a few days,” he said, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

Meanwhile, sources within the education department said the move is part of the National Education Policy (NEP). “As part of the 5+3+3+4 system of education, we are trying to implement a method of evaluation so that we can assess how students are fairing in their learning. This is as opposed to the no-detention policy where students are passed without any attention to how they are doing in their classes and what can be done to help them,” they told TNIE.

They said the discussion is still in the early stages and no concrete picture has emerged yet on implementation and how the method of evaluation will work. “However, if implemented, this will not be done at the state level, but at the school level. There will, however, be measures taken to ensure uniformity in the evaluations,” they said.