Oppose CBSE’s fail policy for classes 3, 5, 8: Minister Anbil Mahesh to parents

CHENNAI: School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has called on parents to oppose the decision of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to implement a policy where students of Classes 3, 5, and 8 could be declared as failed if they score low marks.

Speaking to reporters, the Minister said, “This policy is unacceptable. The idea of failing students at such a young age is harmful and could severely impact their mental health.”

He pointed out that making students repeat the academic year could cause “significant psychological distress and contribute to increased dropout rates. How can children who are still in the age of eating chocolates be expected to understand failure?”.

The Minister also criticised the financial burden placed on parents. “Many take loans to admit their children into CBSE schools. They’re already heavily stressed to provide a private education. CBSE’s approach only adds to their stress,” he added.

Linking the issue to the broader concerns over the National Education Policy (NEP), he reiterated TN’s firm stance against its implementation. “Through NCERT textbooks, the Union government is attempting to rewrite history and promote biased narratives. If such centralised policies are forced upon states, the very existence of state education systems will be under threat,” he warned.

The Minister assured that the DMK government was committed to protecting students under the State board and would continue to strengthen TN’s independent education policy. “We’re introducing new programmes to improve the quality of education. We’ll never allow policies that disrupt the mental and academic well-being of our children,” he averred.