Some relief for students but i doubt whether this would have positive effects...

Now weak students can pass with grace and condonation

While preparing the Examanual, principals of city schools discovered a long-forgotten rule that says students of Std IX and X are entitled to 13 condonation marks in addition to 20 grace marks; rule will be implemented from this year on

YOGITA RAO

Weak students in Std IX and X need not fret about making the grade anymore. In addition to the grace marks that will pull them over the red line, the education department has also dusted out a long forgotten rule that allows automatic condonation of marks. This means that students who fail in one or more subjects by two to three marks will be granted automatic condonation of marks. Students can get a maximum of two marks in each language. Three marks will be given in mathematics and and two each for science and social sciences.Students will benefit by a whopping 13 marks extra.
This is in addition to the 20 grace marks. But there is a clincher. Automatic condonation and grace marks cannot be given in the same subject. Not more than 10 per cent grace marks can be granted per subject and cannot be given in more than three subjects.
The rule was brought into existence in 1977 (under the Maharashtra Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Regulation 1977) but was never implemented. Very few teachers and probably not a single student knew about it.
Raj Aloni, principal of Sir JJ Fort School of Boys, said, “These marks are not part of the grace marks a student is entitled to. The rule was never implemented in schools as nobody was aware of it.”
Aloni was one of principals involved in preparing the Examanual, which led to the unearthing of the old rule. She added, “It was for the Examanual that we had to refer to the 1977 Act and we came across this interesting system. A student getting 33 marks in English can pass with the help of these marks and grace marks can be set aside for other subjects.”
Nazma Kazi, principal of the Anjuman Islam School in Byculla, said, “This system will reduce the number of students failing in Std IX, which is a major concern for the department and for parents. In fact, it will be difficult to fail students in Std IX now.”
The education department has now decided to organise a workshop for all school principals to explain the new evaluation system this week. The workshops will be conducted by all education inspectors from the three zones. Sheela Tiwari, deputy director of the education department, said, “The examanual has the new rules and regulations in a nutshell. It will be of immense help to principals, teachers, parents and students.”

The Examanual is a rule book explaining the new evaluation system for Stds V to XII