The Maharashtra government in view of unabated spurt in the coronavirus cases has decided to promote all state board students from Class 1 to 8 without examinations.
State School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad on Saturday said the government will soon take a decision on Classes 9 and 11. Free Press Journal broke the story on March 31.
“In view of the ongoing situation due to COVID-19, all state board students across Maharashtra from Class 1st to 8th will be promoted to the next class without any examinations. A decision regarding students of class 9th and 11th will soon be taken,’’ said Gaikwad in a video message uploaded on twitter.
Free Press Journal broke on March 31 the state government’s proposal of mass promotion of 1st to 8th classes because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The government, however, is firm on holding offline examinations for Classes 10 and 12.
Last year also, Class 1-8 students were promoted without examinations amid the pandemic.
Gaikwad’s announcement came on a day when 49,447 new COVID-19 cases and 277 deaths were reported with active cases surging to 4,01,172 in Maharashtra. She also declared the mass promotion of state board students of Classes 1 to 8 a day after the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday warned of a total lockdown if the pandemic cases continue to rise in the state.
Thackeray had also hinted at strict curbs in order to break the virus chain and thereby control the infection.
Already a couple of districts including Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Parbhani have announced the closure of schools, colleges and coaching classes amid rising COVID 19 cases.
The government’s decision is important as the Centre has categorised Maharashtra along with 10 other states as ‘’States of grave concern’’ on account of their high and rising daily cases and higher daily deaths. They together have contributed 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases and 90.5 per cent deaths. The Centre has said that the situation was particularly worrying in Maharashtra.
