Make SSLC exam optional: Panel

The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations can be made optional even in the state education system, a panel suggested.

Prof R Govinda, chairman of the committee constituted by the state government to study and submit a report on the upgradation of school system and restructuring of pre-university education in the state, suggested to the government to adopt CBSE system in conducting examinations.

After a day-long meeting with education department officials and hearing representations from the public, Govinda addressed a press conference on Friday.

“Though we haven’t recommended to scrap class 10 or SSLC examinations, we’ve suggested to the state government to make it optional like CBSE,” he said.

“The government can take its own decision. We suggested optional system because examinations should not create pressure on students,” he said. However, the committee is particular about the draft report it has published on upgradation of schools and restructuring of PU colleges in the state.

Even after hearing representations from the public and teaching community, the committee wanted the merger of PU colleges with higher secondary (class 12 and 11).

“We’ll recommend to the government to protect teaching and non-teaching community which are currently working with PU education system while merging with higher secondary,” said Govinda. According to the committee members, till date, they have received 354 responses to the draft report published on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) website.

“We’ve examined all the responses and we will have a final meeting in October first week.. The final report will be submitted to the government by the end of October,” said Govinda. The committee directed the education department to do mapping to identify schools where the number of students is less than 25.

Once that exercise is over, it will think of combining such schools with nearby schools.

The committee suggested to the government to set up a report implementation committee to implement the report. “The implementation cannot be done in a hurry and we cannot serve half-backed food to public. The state must constitute a committee to implement the report properly,” Govinda said.