Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Feb 23: Private schools in Karnataka have urged the state government to reduce the minimum passing marks for SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) exams from 35 to 33.

In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Private Schools Association has demanded that this change be implemented starting from this year.

The association pointed out that in CBSE and ICSE curricula, the passing marks are set at 33, and they argued that the same standard should apply to the state curriculum and Kannada medium schools.

Representational image

The private schools had already held discussions with the Education Department regarding the implementation of the 33 marks standard, but as of now, no action has been taken. Consequently, they have written to the Chief Minister, urging him to take immediate action.

Basavaraj H, the president of the Private Schools Association, has also sent a letter to the Education Department requesting a decision on the matter.

Why the demand?

The rule in various boards, including CBSE and ICSE, is that students require only 33 marks out of 100 to pass. Internal assessment marks, which contribute 20 marks, are fully considered in these boards, which is not the case in the state syllabus.

Private schools argue that this discrepancy between the state board (which requires 35 marks to pass) and the central boards (which accept 33 marks) creates an imbalance. They highlight that students in central board schools are more likely to pass, leading parents to prefer central board schools for their children. This, they say, is unfair to state board schools and students studying in Kannada medium.

Private schools are requesting that the SSLC passing marks be reduced to 33, in line with the central board standards, to ensure fairness across all curricula.