Classes 5 and 8 students may face annual exams soon

Soon, students of Classes V and VIII may have to appear for annual examinations.

According to an annual survey by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on the learning achievement of children in Classes - III, V, VIII and X, there is a need for significant improvement in learning levels.

The survey also noted that the learning level of children depends on several factors, including socio-economic, socio-geographic, the educational background of the students, availability of basic infrastructure/ amenities in schools, availability of trained and competent teachers in the schools and so on.

"The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which came into force on 1, April 2010, provides free and compulsory education for the children at elementary level, in the age group of 6-14 years. Section 29 of the RTE, Act 2009 stipulates that there should be Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) of every child to assess their learning levels and provide additional instruction accordingly. Under the CCE framework, schools and respective Governments are free to conduct periodic examinations for children of all levels," informed the Minister of State (HRD), Upendra Kushwaha in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question on 22 November.