Exams for classes 9, 11 cancelled, says Manish Sisodia
As the Capital’s Covid-19 graph spiralled two months ago, the Delhi government’s education department on April 12, postponed the Class 9 and 11 annual exams, which were scheduled to take place between May and June for government and government-aided schools.
The Delhi government on Thursday cancelled the Class 9 and 11 annual exams and said students will be promoted on the basis of their mid-term exams as per a revised promotion policy put in place last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The move comes days after the Centre announced the cancellation of the Class 10 and 12 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations.
As the Capital’s Covid-19 graph spiralled two months ago, the Delhi government’s education department on April 12, postponed the Class 9 and 11 annual exams, which were scheduled to take place between May and June for government and government-aided schools.
Addressing a digital press briefing, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said, “While students from kindergarten to Class 6 were promoted on the basis of the no-detention policy, students of classes 9 and 11 were anxious their promotion. Today, we have decided to cancel their exams... and promote them on the basis of their mid-term results.”
In a circular released on Thursday, the state directorate of education (DoE) said the revised promotion policy “will help mitigate adverse effects on the students, teachers and parents during lockdown period.”
Sisodia also said private schools that managed to conduct their mid-term and annual examinations may declare their results on the basis of those tests. However, he added that in case public and private schools have not been able to conduct the mid-term examination for all papers, heads of schools can prepare the result on the basis of their two highest scores.
“For the students who have completed the mid-term examinations in two, three or four subjects, the average of the marks obtained in the best two performing subjects out of five main subjects will be awarded in the subjects whose examination have not been conducted or the student(s) is absent in the examinations for whatsoever reason,” the DoE circular said. The department also specified that those students who had appeared for only one subject during the mid-term examinations will not be entitled to the average marks.
Sisodia on Thursday said, “Students who did not take their mid-term exams or appeared for only one paper, or failed to secure the qualifying marks, will be given another chance. However, there will not be any physical examination for such students, and the reassessment will be done on the basis of projects and assignments.”
He also said government schools in the city will declare the Class 9 and 11 results on June 22. “No student will be called to school. Students will receive their result online or via a phone call or WhatsApp,” he said.
He also announced the timeline for non-planned admission in Delhi government schools for classes 6 to 9, adding that the education department will conduct the process in two phases and registration, like last year, will be done online.
“Those looking to get admitted in a government school in classes 6 to 9, can apply for the registration process online. The application process will begin tomorrow [Friday] and will continue till June 30. Admissions under this phase will be declared by July 14. The second phase of admission registrations will be from July 23 to August 6,” he said.
Awadhesh Kumar Jha, head of the Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya in Rohini’s Sector 8, said, “We conducted the mid-term exams in person, and even though the cases have come down, we can’t risk holding another set of physical exams. Cancelling the papers is a good option, and we can prepare the results on the basis of these mid-term tests.”