Litterateurs oppose move to reduce minimum marks for SSLC students

BENGALURU: Opposition is mounting against the government’s decision to reduce the passing marks for SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) exams from 35 per cent to 33 per cent. A group of writers and educationists have written to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging him to reconsider the decision.

They argue that lowering the passing marks will be detrimental to the education system and will take it back by 200 years. They claim that the decision is a “lethal blow” to the quality of education and that the education minister is “playing with the academic future of children.”

The writers and educationists have raised several concerns, including:

Reducing passing marks to 33 pc will not ensure that students have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge.

The decision is based on some board’s rules, which may not be applicable to the state syllabus.

The decision to reduce the pass mark is not good for the state education system.

If internal marks are considered, students who score 10 marks in writing can pass, which is detrimental to the education system.

The decision will push the education system backwards rather than forward.

The government is facing pressure from writers and educationists to reconsider its decision and maintain the current passing mark of 35 per cent.