<p>Bengaluru: Notwithstanding an official notification by the state government on reducing the passing mark from 35 to 33 for SSLC and PU examinations, grumblings about the decision’s "impact on assessment" continue to dominate any discussion surrounding the subject. In an exclusive interview with DH, Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said that a vindictive mindset drove those opposing the move. Excerpts: </p>.<p><strong>Many people, including Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, have objected to reducing the passing marks from 35 to 33.</strong></p>.<p>The debate on reducing passing marks from 35 to 33 has been ongoing for some years now. Those two marks are crucial for lakhs of children; if they fail by a margin of two marks, they will end up becoming dropouts. You need an SSLC marks card even for a driving licence today. It’s easy to question the underrepresentation of people from Karnataka in several jobs, but this is because aspirants must have compulsorily passed the SSLC exam to be eligible for such jobs. The decision to reduce the passing marks was taken after extensive deliberations and consultation with all stakeholders.</p><p>Those opposing this move are motivated by selfish reasons, and their attitude is reflective of a vindictive mindset; they have misled even Basavaraj Horatti. In most of the North Indian and Northeastern states, the passing marks are 33 or less. Even the Administrative Reforms Commission had recommended bringing down the passing marks long ago.</p>.<p><strong>Was any comparative study undertaken before taking the decision?</strong></p>.<p>There is no need for a comparative study. In fact, CBSE and ICSE boards are following our lead when it comes to the introduction of moral education and the adoption of the three-exam policy.</p>.<p>Response from students, parents and teachers has been very positive. It has given them confidence. Of the 708 responses we received from the public on reducing the passing marks, 700 were in favour of the move, and only eight were opposed to it.</p>.Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti opposes reduction of pass marks for SSLC, II PU.<p><strong>The introduction of the three-exam policy was criticised; even the teachers were opposed to it…</strong></p>.<p>Within six months of taking charge as Education Minister, I was targeted for the sharp drop in the SSLC pass percentage in 2023. But I was not responsible for the poor show as I just took charge. That is when we rolled out the three-exam policy, and 1.16 lakh students who had failed the first exam cleared the second exam, and the dropout rate reduced. Unless you see the facts, you cannot move ahead. I was portrayed in a negative light, but I don’t care. My work will speak for itself.</p>.<p><strong>Infrastructure remains a problem at government schools. How will you address this?</strong></p>.<p>I am not denying the problem of poor infrastructure and insufficient teachers at government schools, but the situation is better today than it was before. Our priority is to hire teachers as quickly as we can. In rural areas, parents will send their children to schools without a roof, but will hesitate to send them if there are no teachers. I know that the condition of 3,000 schools is bad, and we are addressing the problem.</p>.<p><strong>The recent decision to open a Karnataka Public School (KPS) in every gram panchayat has been criticised, with some claiming it might lead to closure of 25,000 schools…</strong></p>.<p>Our government will not close even a single school; take my word for it. We want to open a KPS in every Gram Panchayat so we can compete with private schools. As part of our efforts to attract more students to KPS, we have decided to have English as the medium of instruction which is bilingual, integrate kindergarten, and offer free transportation to students. Among those opposing this decision are teachers at schools with just five students. Do you think the Asian Development Bank is blind to give us Rs 2,500 crore for the KPS schools? The bank is ready to give a further Rs 10,000 crore. We are not looking to close schools; rather, we are focused on improving facilities at government schools.</p>.<p><strong>Enrolment at government schools continues to decrease each year…</strong></p>.<p>We have plugged attrition from government schools by starting LKG and UKG classes, besides introducing English as the medium of instruction or adopting a bilingual policy. This is the only reason why parents want to admit their kids to private schools. In 2024, we sanctioned LKG and UKG classes at 1,008 schools, and within 40 days, 42,000 students had enrolled in these schools. This is what you call a masterstroke. Next year, we will have more students joining our LKG and UKG classes. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Notwithstanding an official notification by the state government on reducing the passing mark from 35 to 33 for SSLC and PU examinations, grumblings about the decision’s "impact on assessment" continue to dominate any discussion surrounding the subject. In an exclusive interview with DH, Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa said that a vindictive mindset drove those opposing the move. Excerpts: </p>.<p><strong>Many people, including Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti, have objected to reducing the passing marks from 35 to 33.</strong></p>.<p>The debate on reducing passing marks from 35 to 33 has been ongoing for some years now. Those two marks are crucial for lakhs of children; if they fail by a margin of two marks, they will end up becoming dropouts. You need an SSLC marks card even for a driving licence today. It’s easy to question the underrepresentation of people from Karnataka in several jobs, but this is because aspirants must have compulsorily passed the SSLC exam to be eligible for such jobs. The decision to reduce the passing marks was taken after extensive deliberations and consultation with all stakeholders.</p><p>Those opposing this move are motivated by selfish reasons, and their attitude is reflective of a vindictive mindset; they have misled even Basavaraj Horatti. In most of the North Indian and Northeastern states, the passing marks are 33 or less. Even the Administrative Reforms Commission had recommended bringing down the passing marks long ago.</p>.<p><strong>Was any comparative study undertaken before taking the decision?</strong></p>.<p>There is no need for a comparative study. In fact, CBSE and ICSE boards are following our lead when it comes to the introduction of moral education and the adoption of the three-exam policy.</p>.<p>Response from students, parents and teachers has been very positive. It has given them confidence. Of the 708 responses we received from the public on reducing the passing marks, 700 were in favour of the move, and only eight were opposed to it.</p>.Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti opposes reduction of pass marks for SSLC, II PU.<p><strong>The introduction of the three-exam policy was criticised; even the teachers were opposed to it…</strong></p>.<p>Within six months of taking charge as Education Minister, I was targeted for the sharp drop in the SSLC pass percentage in 2023. But I was not responsible for the poor show as I just took charge. That is when we rolled out the three-exam policy, and 1.16 lakh students who had failed the first exam cleared the second exam, and the dropout rate reduced. Unless you see the facts, you cannot move ahead. I was portrayed in a negative light, but I don’t care. My work will speak for itself.</p>.<p><strong>Infrastructure remains a problem at government schools. How will you address this?</strong></p>.<p>I am not denying the problem of poor infrastructure and insufficient teachers at government schools, but the situation is better today than it was before. Our priority is to hire teachers as quickly as we can. In rural areas, parents will send their children to schools without a roof, but will hesitate to send them if there are no teachers. I know that the condition of 3,000 schools is bad, and we are addressing the problem.</p>.<p><strong>The recent decision to open a Karnataka Public School (KPS) in every gram panchayat has been criticised, with some claiming it might lead to closure of 25,000 schools…</strong></p>.<p>Our government will not close even a single school; take my word for it. We want to open a KPS in every Gram Panchayat so we can compete with private schools. As part of our efforts to attract more students to KPS, we have decided to have English as the medium of instruction which is bilingual, integrate kindergarten, and offer free transportation to students. Among those opposing this decision are teachers at schools with just five students. Do you think the Asian Development Bank is blind to give us Rs 2,500 crore for the KPS schools? The bank is ready to give a further Rs 10,000 crore. We are not looking to close schools; rather, we are focused on improving facilities at government schools.</p>.<p><strong>Enrolment at government schools continues to decrease each year…</strong></p>.<p>We have plugged attrition from government schools by starting LKG and UKG classes, besides introducing English as the medium of instruction or adopting a bilingual policy. This is the only reason why parents want to admit their kids to private schools. In 2024, we sanctioned LKG and UKG classes at 1,008 schools, and within 40 days, 42,000 students had enrolled in these schools. This is what you call a masterstroke. Next year, we will have more students joining our LKG and UKG classes. </p>