Govt. stays implementation of minimum marks in Keralam schools

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The government has decided to temporarily stay an order implementing minimum marks for classes VIII, IX, and X in the 2026-27 academic year.

Implementation of minimum marks was one of the most significant and debated decisions of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

The LDF had in 2024 given approval for the implementation of 30% minimum marks in the theory component of each subject in school examinations as part of steps to enhance the quality of education. The decision was taken in the wake of criticism from many sections that students were not achieving the desired learning outcomes.

Despite opposition by the pro-CPI(M) Kerala School Teachers’ Association, Students’ Federation of India, and the Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad, the LDF government had begun implementing it in the 2024-25 academic year for class VIII students and in the 2025-26 year for class VIII and IX students. In the 2026-27 academic year, it was supposed to be be implemented for classes VIII to X.

Along with implementation of subject minimum, the then government had given thrust to strengthening continuous evaluation and making it merit based.

Also, a learning support programme was rolled out so that students who failed to secure 30% minimum marks in the annual examinations were given academic support and made to appear for the exams again.

However, most significantly students appearing for the SSLC examinations will not have to worry about securing minimum 30% marks in the theory component of each paper.

There are concerns that the decision to stay the implementation of minimum marks will have an adverse impact on education standards.

The Left-affiliated All Kerala School Teachers Union, in a statement, said that abandoning examination reforms, which were introduced to ensure that students attained learning outcomes and met academic standards, in the last phase when they were to be implemented in class X would destroy the trust in public education. No discussion had been held before taking the decision, AKSTU general secretary O.K. Jayakrishnan said, seeking a re-think on the staying of minimum mark implementation.

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