Practical examinations for SSLC, higher secondary, and vocational higher secondary students have been rescheduled and will now be held after the year-end theory examinations, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.
Addressing an online press meet after a meeting of the General Education Department on Thursday, Mr. Sivankutty said the change in the practical exam schedule would provide teachers more time to complete portions. The practical examination timetable would be published by schools.
Higher secondary improvement examinations would begin on January 31. Special arrangements would be made for COVID-positive students to appear for the examinations. School authorities could decide whether to conduct model examinations depending on the conditions in the institution.
Denying any change with regard to the focus area for the SSLC and Plus Two examinations , the Minister said the focus area had been declared earlier. Students need not have any apprehension. This year, 70% of the questions that had to be answered would be from the focus area (60% of the portions in a subject). In all, the percentage of total questions in the paper would be 105.
Again, 30% of the questions that had to be answered were from outside the focus area. In all, 45% questions would be provided to students. Internal and practical marks too would be added to decide the final grades. The changes had been introduced so that students could be evaluated on the basis of their performance. Students were required to study the entire syllabus for the entrance examinations, and those from the State should not fall behind. .
Guidelines for parents would be provided through the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala, to prepare students for the examinations. Any further decision would be taken at an apt time, he said.
As per vaccination figures till January 25, 60.99% higher secondary students, 66.24% vocational higher secondary students, and 80% high school students had been administered COVID vaccination. Teachers should try and get the remaining students vaccinated too.
Steps would be taken to improve online classes for students from Class 1 to 9, the Minister said. Digital classes would be telecast through Victers channels for students from Class 1 to 12, while G Suite platform would be used for online classes for Classes 8 to 12. Teachers should mark attendance compulsorily, and get in touch with students who did not attend classes. New class timetable would be brought out to complete portions for classes 10 to 12 ahead of year-end examinations.
