Students must clear third language exam in Class 8 to appear for boards
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday announced its new assessment and evaluation policy, stating that the students who do not pass their third language exam in Class 8 will not be allowed to write the Class 10 board exams.
The Directorate of Education (DOE) said the policy has been reframed in accordance with the directions of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Hindustan Times had, in October last year, reported the proposed change. Until now, the students were automatically promoted to Class 9, because of the no-detention policy under the Right to Education Act, even if they failed in the third language exam. As per the no-detention policy, no student can be detained up to Class 8.
According to an order issued on the DOE website on Wednesday, director Binay Bhushan said the students who could not clear the third language exam in Class 8 and were promoted to Class 9, would have to appear in a compartment exam along with the exams of Class 9. “Those students who could not clear the third language exam in Class 8 yet have been promoted to Class 9 shall be examined by the school concerned at the end of the year exam of Class 9 in the same syllabus and textbooks as prescribed for Class 8. Those who are still unable to clear the third language at the end of Class 9 may be given another opportunity in Class 10 before the Board Examination,” the order stated.
The change in the evaluation process will be implemented from the ongoing academic session. That means the students who fail the third language in Class 8 in the ongoing exams will have to appear in a compartment exam next year. “We had informed the schools in October itself. Also, the students will get enough time to appear in the compartment exam,” Bhushan said.
Under the three language formula, it is mandatory for students to study three languages till Class 8. Besides Hindi and English, schools in Delhi offer Sanskrit, Urdu and Punjabi as the third language. Several private schools also offer French, German and other foreign languages.
While principals of both government and private schools said that the students and their parents were informed of the change last year, some said that the re-exam should be conducted immediately rather than after a year. AK Jha, principal of government Sarvodaya co-ed Vidyalaya in Rohini, said, “Due to the existing no-detention policy, students directly face exams in Class 9. It will become difficult for them to study the extra syllabus for the compartment exam. It is better that the compartment exam be held immediately after the Class 8 exams,” he said.