Urban Areas of Pune District Witness 5% Failure Rate in Fifth and Eighth Grades

Pune, 4th May 2024: Starting this year, exams have been introduced for fifth and eighth-grade students. An observation reveals a higher rate of student failures in urban areas of Pune district. The Ministry of Primary Education has amended the Right to Education Act of 2011. Annual examinations have been mandated for fifth and eighth grades. Additionally, a policy has been adopted to keep students in their current grade if they fail, even after receiving another opportunity after failing in either fifth or eighth grade.

In light of this decision, annual examinations for grades V and VIII have been instituted starting this year. In this context, the Pune District Principal Association convened a workshop in Pune, attended by principals from 13 talukas of the district. Mahendra Ganpule, State Spokesperson of the Principals’ Corporation, highlighted that urban areas exhibit a higher proportion of failed students compared to rural areas. Specifically, principals noted a failure rate of 5 % in urban areas and 3 to 4 % in rural regions. Notably, despite granting concessional marks for students with low subject scores, some students continue to fail.