Education minister gives grace marks to failed students

Updated on: Friday, May 11, 2012

The failed Class IX students of Byculla's Antonio Desouza High School and Worli's Sacred Heart High School will be given grace marks, school education minister Rajendra Darda said on Wednesday; if some students do not pass even after this, their answer sheets will be re-evaluated by independent examiners.

"The students could not get the benefit of grace marks because of a circular issued in March. So they failed. After taking their welfare into consideration, we have decided to defer the implementation of the circular by a year," Darda told TOI.

Expressing shock at the dismal performance of the two schools, Darda said he had asked senior officials of his department to examine their records. "If 50% of Class IX students fail, then all is not well with the school. If the students' performance was not satisfactory when they were in Class VIII, then as per the Right to Education Act, the managements of the schools should have imparted them special coaching during the summer vacation."

He said he would speak to the heads of leading schools in the metropolis to ensure effective implementation of the act.

On the circular (issued on March 12 this year), additional chief secretary (school education) G S Saharia said the matter could be traced back till March 2007. On the 10th of that month, the school education department issued a circular, saying that grace marks were to be granted to students who were within striking distance of passing marks. In March 2010, it issued another circular, saying that for passing a subject in Class IX, students would have to secure a minimum of 25% marks in the theory paper. An identical circular was issued for Class XI students in 2011.

Saharia said the 2010 and 2011 circulars were very clear about grace marks and minimum passing marks. "They made clear that Class IX and XI students will be eligible for grace marks in maths and science only if they secure a minimum of 25% marks in the theory paper. Marks obtained in theory and practical were to be considered independently for promotion."

He said that despite the later circulars being issued, many schools across the state continued following the 2007 circular. For such schools, the school education department issued a circular on March 12, 2012. "The new circular is quite clear. Class IX and XI students will be eligible for grace marks only if they secure a minimum of 25% marks in the theory paper," Saharia said. "But because there was a delay in issuing it, implementation has been deferred by a year."

Education minister gives grace marks to failed students

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