Minister defends board exam

SATARA: Defending the decision to introduce board examination for standard IV as an attempt to improve the quality of education, school education minister Ramkrishna More has said that the state government was, however, willing to rectify any discrepancies.
He was speaking at the 115th birth anniversary celebrations of Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil, organised by the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha here on Sunday.More pooh-poohed the criticism that the board exam for standard IV would prove an unnecessary burden on the students. The board exam was essential to assess the academic performance of the students, he said.
More also criticised the Union human resources minister M.M. Joshi for advocating “examination-free education� till the 10th standard. “That would mean asking the students to attend the school but remain uneducated.� Sanstha chairman N.D. Patil said the government should accord equal importance to a time-bound programme to construct 53,000 class rooms and to fill the vacancies of teachers in the state.