Pune: Strong Opposition To SCERT’s Exam Schedule; Educators Demand Revision

Pune, 7th March 2025: The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has announced a unified exam schedule for students from grades one to nine across the state. However, this decision has sparked widespread discontent among educators, with many arguing that the government is encroaching upon the authority of school principals. Education experts and school heads believe that unless schools are given autonomy in matters such as examinations and schedules, the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) cannot be effectively realized.

SCERT’s new schedule mandates that the periodic assessment test and the second consolidated test be conducted between 8th April and 25th April 25. Previously, these exams were completed between 10th April and 12th April. The extended schedule has raised concerns among teachers and education experts, as it leaves insufficient time for evaluating answer sheets and preparing results before the academic year concludes.

Former principal Mahendra Ganpule criticized the decision, stating, “According to the School Code and MEPS Act, the responsibility for assessing students in private schools rests entirely with the school head. By implementing this schedule without consulting principals, the government is attempting to strip them of their rightful authority.”

Former Director of Education Dr. Vasant Kalpande expressed concerns over increasing centralization in the education sector, stating, “The government has developed a tendency to bypass legal provisions and authoritative bodies while making arbitrary decisions. Key responsibilities such as curriculum development, textbooks, and teacher training, which should be under the legislature’s purview, are being handed over to SCERT. This is a blatant example of excessive centralization, which is unnecessary.”

In response to these concerns, the Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary School Principals’ Federation has submitted a formal request to SCERT, urging a revision of the exam schedule. The federation argues that conducting exams until 25th April will create multiple challenges, including:

– Insufficient time for checking answer sheets, compiling results, and preparing progress reports.
– Subject-wise teacher constraints in secondary schools, making quick evaluation difficult.
– Extreme summer conditions in regions like Marathwada and Vidarbha, where water scarcity could further impact the extended exam schedule.

Additionally, principals fear that a prolonged exam period will leave no room for remedial teaching and extracurricular activities in schools post-exams. To address these issues, the federation has requested that exams be conducted between 8th April and 12th April, as per the previous system.