Karnataka HC strikes down board exams for classes 5, 8, 9 and 11

BENGALURU: On Wednesday, the Karnataka High Court reportedly quashed a state government notification which mandated conducting board exams for students of classes 5,8, 9 and 11 under the State Board Syllabus.

A single judge bench of Justice Krishna Dixit was prompted to do so after finding merit in the arguments made by registered associations of private unaided schools, while quashing the notification. It was argued that conducting board examinations for these classes violates the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) model enshrined in the Right To Education Act, 2009. CCE is a method of evaluating the student's performance to understand the points of improvement in their progress. It involves regular tests and evaluations for better student performance and has been mandated by the RTE.

It was further contended that conducting board examinations for students in classes 5, 8 and 9 will create anxiety and fear among students and in the long run, will discourage students from attending classes. In the preceding academic year, the Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board instituted a "centralised annual examination" for classes 5 and 8. In September 2023, the government notified classes 9 and the first PUC to follow suit. Board exams were mandated by the Karnataka government for all educational establishments, including aided and unaided schools.

In addition to nullifying the board examinations for pupils in classes 5, 8, and 9, the High Court also cancelled the board exam for students in class 11. Due to their deviation from the CCE paradigm, the board exams, which were scheduled to begin on March 11, witnessed some resistance.

Detailed order is yet to be released on the High Courts website.