TN against Sibal's move to make class 10th exam optional

Tamil Nadu government today opposed the move made by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to make class 10th board examination optional for students.     

"Tamil Nadu, which had always opposed the transfer of education from the State List to Concurrent List, is of the view that there will be too much pressure on the candidate when he sits for the class 12th examination without taking up the class 10th exam," officials of the state education department said.     

"We can evaluate a candidate when he scores high marks in class 10th examination. However, if a student without taking up class 10th board examination gets poor marks in class 11th, may be in his quarterly examination, then the teacher may not allow him/her to sit for the class 12th exam," they said.     

Meanwhile, School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu refused to comment on the proposal saying it was a policy decision and had to be announced only in the State Assembly, whose session is underway.     

However, he was of the view that only higher education came under the purview of the Centre and it could not interfere in the affairs of school education as it fell under the domain of the state governments.