09, Nov 2011

In a bid to reduce school children’s burden of taking successive board examinations at the end of classes 10, 11, and12, the state government of Himachal Pradesh has decided to do away with the Class 11 board examination.

The decision will take effect from the year 2012.  “The 10+1 examination, which was otherwise being conducted by HP Board of School Education (HPBSE), would be discontinued from next academic year onwards,” said a government spokesman, while briefing the media about his government’s decision.

Educationists in the state who have been critical of the  government’s education policy, citing that it burdened the student community, have welcomed the decision. A school principal said that even girl students had to pay examination fees for the board exams conducted by the HPBSE, such a payment was defeating the very objective of providing free education to girl students. Besides reducing the examination fees, the Himachal government has declared free education for girls right up to the university level.