Maharashtra scraps ‘fail’ in class 10, 12 exams

The government resolution added that in the HSC examination, which will begin later this month, if a student fails in one or more subjects, he will be marked “eligible for re-exam” in the marksheet in place of “fail”.

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In the re-examination that will be held in July and August, if a student fails in one or two subjects, the remark in the marksheet will state “eligible for re-exam”, as opposed to “fail”. If a student fails in three or more subjects, the remark in the marksheet will be “eligible for skill development programme”.

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When contacted, School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad mentioned that the decision was taken to ensure that students who do not perform well in examinations do not feel disheartened. “The word fail has negative connotations. Students should not feel that failing an exam means they have failed in life. We have taken this decision to instill positivity among students and encourage them to pursue their skills and not lose hope,” she added.

Gaikwad commented that instances of students committing suicide due to pressure before examinations or after results are unfortunate. “The decision has been taken to ensure that students do not think of themselves as failures on account of their performance in the examinations,” she added.

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On December 5 last year, a similar notification was released by the state department for skill development and entrepreneurship. In a step towards holistic education, those students who fail in their class 10 and 12 board exams in three or more subjects will soon be encouraged by the state to pursue skill development education, the notification had said.

Maharashtra State Skill Development Society will implement this programme as the nodal agency, along with Maharashtra State Council of Vocational Training, it had added.