Bengaluru, March 27 (NationPress) In a significant effort to alleviate academic stress for SSLC students in Karnataka, School Education and Literacy Minister S. Madhu Bangarappa unveiled a series of reforms on Friday.

During a press conference following the Assembly session, the minister announced that the ‘third language’ component of SSLC examinations will now be evaluated using a grading system.

Minister Bangarappa stated, “Previously, 100 marks were assigned to the third language out of a total of 625 marks. Moving forward, there will be no pass or fail assessment for this language. Consequently, the scores obtained in the third language will not impact the final results. Instead, students will receive grades such as A, B, C, or D.”

This new regulation will encompass all third languages taught in the curriculum, including Hindi, Sanskrit, Tulu, Marathi, and Arabic. An official directive regarding this initiative will be released soon.

Additionally, the minister announced the introduction of Moral Science classes for students, with the government providing free Moral Science textbooks starting this academic year. This initiative is aimed at fostering responsible citizenship.

On the topic of social media usage among students, Bangarappa mentioned that a proposal to limit access to social media platforms for children under 16 was discussed in the Assembly and garnered broad support. He stressed that addressing this issue requires the involvement of parents to monitor their children’s mobile phone usage.

“Our government’s main goal is to bolster government schools, ensure transparency, and ease the pressure of examinations on students. To achieve this, we have implemented a system of three annual examinations, allowing students to choose their best scores,” the minister elaborated, highlighting the achievements of the department and its future objectives.

He reiterated the importance of the proposal to limit social media access for children under 16, considering both mental health and future implications, noting that it received widespread backing in the Assembly. Again, he urged parents to take a more active role in overseeing their children's mobile phone usage.

Emphasizing the government's commitment, Minister Madhu Bangarappa concluded: “Our primary aim is to strengthen government schools, foster transparency, and alleviate students' exam-related stress. We have introduced a system of conducting three annual examinations, allowing students to retain their highest scores.”