Grades for 3rd language in SSLC: Karnataka Governor asks state to 'comprehensively examined' decision

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has asked the state government to reconsider the decision of replacing marks with grades for the third language subject in the Class 10 exams.

In a letter to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, the Lok Bhavan has said that the government should have this decision “comprehensively examined”.

On March 27, School Education & Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa announced that SSLC students will not be awarded a score for the third language subject, which carries 100 marks. Instead, they will get grades. With this, students will be scored for 525 marks and not 625.

Hindi is the widely picked third language subject in high school. Over 7.5 lakh students have Hindi as their third language, followed by English (32,000) and Kannada (11,400). Urdu, Sanskrit, Tulu, Konkani and Marathi are the other third language subjects.

The government has argued that the decision to introduce grades for the third language was aimed at reducing pressure on students, many of whom fail the Hindi subject.

Gehlot has received a representation from the Association for Preservation of Local Languages, Bengaluru, raising concerns over the government’s decision.

“The representation highlights the significant role played by the third language in fostering linguistic diversity, awareness and intellectual development among students,” Governor’s Special Secretary R Prabhu Shankar stated in the letter to Rajneesh.

“It has been pointed out that the proposed system of awarding only grades, in place of marks, may inadvertently diminish the academic importance of the subject and affect students’ motivation to engage seriously with it,” the Lok Bhavan said. “The concerns raised also reflect apprehensions among teachers, parents and educationists regarding the long-term implications of such a policy decision on the overall quality and inclusiveness of school education in the state,” it said.

Gehlot, the letter stated, “has taken note of the issues raised” and wants the government to review the decision “keeping in view academic and administrative aspects across the education sector”.

The Lok Bhavan has urged the government to consult the department of school education and other authorities and “take such action as deemed appropriate in the larger interest of students and the state’s educational objectives”.

The opposition BJP has already slammed the Congress government, calling its decision "political and unilateral".