The State Cabinet has resolved to implement a grading system for High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examinations commencing this year.
This information was divulged by Education Minister Th Basantakumar at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat earlier today.
Students will receive grades in the following manner: 91-100 will be designated as A1 with grade points 10, 81-90 as A2 with grade points 9, 71-80 as B1 with grade points 8, 61-70 as B2 with grade points 7, 51-60 as C1 with grade points 6, 41-50 as C2 with grade points 5, 31-40 as D with grade points 4, 21-30 as E1=fail & 00-20 as E2=fail.
Under this introduced grading system, no aggregate or total marks will be exhibited in the document. Neither will any division or rank be conferred, with only pass/fail status being indicated.
The internal assessment and external examination (80 marks) administered by the Board will remain unchanged, as stated.
Additionally, the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Education Minister has decided to extend the unsettled area status across Manipur for a further six months, with exceptions for areas under 19 police stations where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been lifted.
Simultaneously, a communication disseminated by Joint Secretary, Education (S) Elangbam Sonia revealed that the Education (School) Department, Government of Manipur, in consultation with the Board of Secondary Education, is introducing grading and grade points sans display of marks in the mark statement cum certificate issued by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, starting from the High School Leaving Certificate Examination in 2024.
The Government acknowledges that while competition among students can spur performance enhancement, it emphasizes the need to mitigate potential stress or disillusionment among minors.
Moreover, the grading system is posited to alleviate stress and pressure on students, facilitating learning with reduced stress levels and lessened competitiveness at their developmental stage. Furthermore, the existing mechanism of evaluating answer sheets and awarding marks is acknowledged to have shortcomings. While teachers evaluate answer sheets, their methods may vary. Nonetheless, with students being allocated grades indicating a range, it is improbable for grades to differ significantly regardless of the evaluator.
