Annual exams in basic schools to begin on March 16

Prayagraj: Annual examinations in basic schools (Classes 1 to VIII) across the district will begin on Mar 16 and continue till Mar 20, officials said.The exams will cover subjects, including Hindi, English, mathematics, science, social studies, environmental education, sports and physical education/scouting, art/music, Sanskrit/Urdu, moral education, and basic craft, or agriculture and home science. Students will receive marks for these subjects, while evaluation will also be conducted for 11 additional co-curricular activities. Instead of marks, students will be awarded grades for these activities. The assessment will focus on various aspects of a student's overall behaviour and participation during the academic year. Teachers will evaluate factors such as punctuality, discipline, etiquette, cleanliness, personal hygiene, and participation in the morning assembly. The assessment will also consider a student's behaviour during the mid-day meal, participation in sports and cultural activities, creative skills and interests in areas such as drawing, music, and practical work. In addition, qualities such as leadership ability and cooperative spirit will be evaluated and recorded in the report card. Students' attendance during the year will also be highlighted, and those who maintain 100% attendance at the school level will be honoured. District basic education officer Anil Kumar said the examinations will be conducted in two shifts daily--9:30 am to 11:30 am and 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Class I students will appear for oral examinations, while Classes II to VIII will have both written and oral tests. For Classes II and III, 50% of the evaluation will be based on oral assessment. In Classes IV and V, 70% of the marks will be from written exams and 30% from oral tests. For Classes VI to VIII, all subjects will have written examinations carrying a maximum of 50 marks.