Out-of-syllabus questions: Students get 7 bonus marks

Raipur: In a major relief, the state education department announced that 7 bonus marks would be awarded to all Class 4 students in Surajpur district after some questions in the annual Hindi examination paper, carrying 7 marks in total, were found to be out of syllabus and inconsistent with the region-specific language curriculum.It was alleged that the discrepancy, which was highlighted in a TOI report on April 9, this year, not only impacted the performance of the students taking the exam but also resulted in needless confusion and exam stress.The issue hit the headlines after the headmaster of the Government Primary School, Chattidand, Gautam Sharma, wrote to the district education officer (DEO), Surajpur, flagging the issue and seeking immediate intervention. Sharma pointed out that while Surajpur falls in the Sarguja region, where the curriculum is typically based on the Sargujia dialect, the questions, totalling 7 marks, were set in the Chhattisgarhi language.The govt school headmaster also urged the education dept to come out with clear guidelines on individual region-specific curriculums and evaluation. He also sought a fair resolution of the controversy involving the Hindi paper.Acknowledging the seriousness of the matter, the DEO, Surajpur ordered the awarding of 7 bonus marks to all affected Class 4 students who wrote the annual Hindi exam.This, after the committee set up to look into complaints that questions, totalling 7 marks, fell outside the prescribed syllabus, recommended grace marks for the affected students."The (affected) students will receive a total of 7 bonus marks, covering three specific questions: Question 2 (1 mark), Question 11 (3 marks), and Question 12 (3 marks). This directive applies to all students currently enrolled in government schools across the district. Evaluators must grant these marks regardless of whether a student attempted the questions or not," read the order issued by the DEO.He also instructed all headmasters and evaluators to process answer scripts after factoring in the bonus marks and ensure timely declaration of results.Welcoming the decision to award bonus marks, education experts said it was in keeping with the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises the importance of mother tongue and regional language-based learning at the primary level.