No more Onam and Christmas exams in schools, no classes on Saturdays

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is a recommendation to increase the working hours of high schools by half an hour in the state. A five-member committee appointed to revise the educational calendar forwarded the recommendation. The committee also recommended to reduce school exams to two. The committee also recommended that classes be held on one Saturday a month so that there are no six consecutive working days.

There are presently three exams during Onam, Christmas and March. Instead, the recommendation is that a half-yearly exam in October and an annual exam in March is sufficient. The standard of studies can be assessed through class exams. There is no need to increase the class hours of lower primary and upper primary classes. If half an hour is increased daily in high schools, 1200 hours of study can be ensured in a year. School breaks should be reduced to ten minutes.

An expert committee was formed under the leadership of SCERT as per the directives of the high court. The five-member committee headed by Professor V P Jyothish, head of the education department of Kasaragod Central University, submitted its report to Minister V Sivankutty yesterday.