Private Schools’ Association of Kashmir has urged the government to clear its stand on the fate of classes 1 to 9 and class 11, as there is no communication from government whether they will hold examination for these classes or approve ‘Provisional Promotion’ declared by the Private Schools.The Association said that the private schools decided to provide provisional promotion to the classes 1st to 9th and class 11 as a humane gesture, but government is maintaining a silence on the final decision. “We had taken a decision to provide provisional promotion to students as a measure to relieve them of uncertainty of academic session and the related stress,” said G N Var president PSAK in a statement to KNS. “But the government is maintaining a dangerous silence over the matter. Wherever we go to officials they say we don’t know.”The Association said that if government decides to go with the promotion then it will be a win-win situation for all and if it decides to go ahead with the examinations then we will also prepare accordingly.The Association said that it is not the matter of only six lakh private school students but equal number of students are in government schools too who too are facing the stressful situation. “The government is not taking a final call on the lower class examinations. It is irony that students are being made to suffer for the indecisiveness of the government,” said Var. “We took the decision of provisional promotion as private schools usually register 100 % pass percentage and examinations constitute just an evaluation/assessment to determine the merit. According to national policy and Right To Education Act no student can be detained upto class 8th, so providing promotion was natural.”
The Association said that the government to remaining indifferent to the woes of students. “We are trying hard to bring some semblance to disturbed academic calendar, but we are not finding equal partners in government. They are more concerned with Class 10 and 12 examinations but other classes are equally important and we need to take a final call,” said Var. “We are at the end of the year and if a final decision is not taken soon, then it will become a huge problem for all of us.”The Association also appealed the Chief Minister to scrap the decision of order by which Class 8th examinations are being conducted by SIE (state institute of education). “Class 8th examinations are just regular examinations and there is no logic in entrusting its conduct to DIET. It is unnecessary burden on government, student and parents. Moreover our selection of books and scheme of evaluation is different. We appeal the government to revert back to old system wherein the examination was conducted by the respective schools,” said Var.The Association assured the students and parents that despite all odds, it won’t allow the lost of an academic year. “Situation is not conducive, government too is indecisive and not willing to cooperate and there are other problems, but we will do whatever is in our hands to minimize the damage to the student community,” said Var. (KNS)