Students who fail SSLC, II PUC exam can enrol for classes again

Students who fail SSLC or second-year pre-university examination can seek readmission and attend regular classes while preparing to take the exam again.  The Karnataka government has amended the rules to help students prepare better and prevent them from dropping out of higher studies.

Hitherto, students who failed SSLC or II PU examination had to prepare on their own or attend private coaching. Rules did not permit them to attend regular classes in high school or college.

The rules have been amended now, and high schools and PU colleges informed, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait told reporters here on Thursday. The rules are applicable to both government and private institutions. If private institutions refuse them readmission, students can enrol in government colleges.

“After getting admission, students can attend classes of subjects in which they have failed. Students who want to improve their score can also get readmission and attend classes,” the minister added.

Laptops for high scores
The state government will soon provide free laptops to 750 students of government high schools who scored more than 90% in the 2016 SSLC examination. The government will also provide free uniforms, textbooks and bicycles to students at government and aided schools, Sait said.

Teacher shortage
Replying to queries, Sait said government and aided schools in Karnataka faced a shortage of 13,306 teachers. “We will calculate the number of additional vacancies that could arise due to retirement of teachers in the next two years and accordingly take up fresh recruitment,” he said.

The government will continue posting teachers from districts that have excess number of them to districts that face their shortage, the minister said. Amendments will be made to the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) Act, 2007, to make district a unit for transfer. At present, taluk is considered a unit for transfer.

Teachers’ transfer stayed
Sait appreciated the efforts of a class 8 student from Puttur, Dakshina Kannada district, for sending a text message to Home Minister G Parameshwara seeking his intervention to stop the transfer of four teachers from his school.

Divith Rai had sent a message to Parameshwara, saying that all students in his school opposed the transfer of four teachers.

Parameshwara intervened and made a request. Accordingly, the teachers were reposted to the school, Sait said.

Sait, who took charge of Primary and Secondary Education last month, said that as per the directions of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, circulars had been sent to all senior officers in the department to clear pending files within a week.