Grades for SSLC exams third language paper: Basavaraj Horatti asks state govt to withdraw decision

Hubbali: Terming the government's move to give grades for the third language in SSLC examinations and not considering that while calculating the overall percentage as a wrong decision, Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Monday asked the government to withdraw the decision and retain the earlier system.

"This move by the government is wrong. How can grades be given for a language subject, like sports and drawing? Demand may come to give grades for other subjects also, such as English. Hindi is a national language and not knowing Hindi causes difficulty when we visit other parts of the country," he said.

I will write to the chief minister and speak to him. I have already spoken to chief secretary and education department secretary, Horatti said.

"Giving grades for the SSLC third language subject is not correct. All universities have Hindi departments, and will you close them all down? Tomorrow (March 31) is the examination, and what feelings may students have due to such a decision?", he asked.

The third language is not just Hindi, but also Sanskrit, Urdu, Marathi, Tamil and other languages. The decision to give grades for this subject, that too when the examination is so near, makes no sense, Horatti said.

Opining that the two-language policy can be adapted in administration but not in schools, Horatti, who represents Karnataka West Teachers' Consti