Class 8 exam age limit plan shelved

BIKANER: The Rajasthan government’s plan to introduce an age limit for Class 8 examination has been nipped in the bud after opposition to it from within the government.

A proposal, according to the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, also called the Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009, fixed 16 years as the limit for taking the Class 8 examination. This was part of the new enrolment and examination policy the state planned to introduce.

HT has a copy of the minutes of the meeting held on February 3 at Jaipur, in which it was decided to accommodate students in grades according to their age.

For example, if a student nearing 14 years of age got admitted to a school, he or she will be accommodated in Class 8 and will be eligible to appear as a regular student for elementary education completion certificate before he or she turned 16.

This was in pursuance of the Rajasthan Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2011.

In the meeting, it was decided to entrust the state’s secondary board of education to implement the policy. The board was directed to reject application of students over 16 years.

After the meeting, the elementary education directorate issued a letter on February 22 for implementation of the age limit.

Meanwhile, the move began to generate opposition, even from within the government, as the move was seen to be preventing adults from taking the Class 8 examinations to become eligible for panchayati raj elections.

The education qualification as eligibility for rural elections was introduced in Rajasthan in 2015.

When panchayati raj minister Rajendra Rathore was in Bikaner, HT asked him about the proposal. “I’m not aware of the amendments to the policy,” he said, adding, that “the new provisions will demoralise and disappoint the panchayat election aspirants”.

Rathore said he will look into the matter, and on Tuesday, education minister Vasudev Devnani announced in the House that the government has decided to relax the age limit for 55,757 students taking Class 8 examination. The minister spoke on the proposal during the zero hour.

(With inputs from Jaipur)

I’m not aware of the amendments to the policy and the new provisions will demoralise and disappoint the panchayat election aspirants.