Rajasthan Class 5 board results 2025: 97.46% pass rate sparks debate over early exams

The Hindu

2 days ago

The Rajasthan Secondary Education Board (RBSE) Class 5 board exam results were announced by the state Education Minister, Madan Dilawar, on May 30. While the reports cite a pass percentage of 97.46%, which is a slight increase from previous years—2024 (97.06%) and 2023 (97.30%)—teachers and educationists question the relevance of board exams for lower grade students amidst teacher shortages and poor infrastructure. The exams were conducted from April 1 to 7 this year.
State-level board examinations for lower grades — Class 5 and Class 8 — have made a comeback in several states, including Punjab, following amendments to the Right to Education Act (2009) in 2019 and 2024. Rajasthan has been conducting Class 5 board exams for nearly a decade and Class 8 for longer. The results made media headlines and brought to the fore a trend towards detaining students though it must be said that Rajasthan's Class 5 board exams rarely lead to detention.
Facilitating amendment
The 2019 RTE amendment scrapped the no-detention policy, and subsequent changes announced in 2024 solidified the Centre and states' authority to conduct examinations for Class 5 and 8 students, and retain them in the same class, if they fail, even after a re-examination conducted two months later with additional instruction.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009) was introduced to ensure access to basic education up to the 8th grade. The no-detention policy under the RTE Act aimed to prevent students, particularly from underserved backgrounds, from being pushed out of the schooling system due to failure, curb dropout rates, and reduce exam pressure.
While the amendments permit the State to detain failing students, a government school teacher from Jodhpur, speaking anonymously, said, 'Though exams are conducted at the State of Rajasthan level, students receive grades from A to E and are not detained. Those who get an E must appear for re-examination. Even if they fail again, they're promoted but must continue studying the failed subject.'
Naveen Chauhan, a government school teacher from Ajmer, agreed that detention is rare in Rajasthan but added that board exams for younger grades cause significant stress for both teachers and students. 'Students in CBSE schools face board exams later, but those in Rajasthan state government schools (RBSE) must write them in Classes 5 and 8—with the same formalities as Class 10 and 12 exams.. They take exams in unfamiliar schools, with roll numbers, mapped centres, centralised answer sheet checking, and admission cards. This entire process creates mental pressure,' Mr. Chauhan explained.
He added, 'Teachers face scrutiny if students receive E-grades and are pressured to improve their performance. They even receive official notices.'
Teacher shortages
'Conducting re-exams and ensuring students restudy the material is challenging,' said Vijay Soni, an educationist with 33 years of experience and state president of the Rajasthan State Shikshak Sangh RadhaKrishnan.
'The real issue is the severe shortage of primary teachers. Many schools in Rajasthan have just one teacher handling all primary classes.'
Mr. Soni highlighted systemic problems: 'Teachers aren't just teaching—they manage mid-day meals (nutrition tracking), ensure children drink milk, and handle non-teaching duties like booth-level officer tasks and surveys. This pulls them away from classrooms.'
As per UDISE 2023-24, Rajasthan has 7,668 schools with a single teacher. 'Board exams don't improve learning. Learning improves when every class has at least one dedicated teacher,' Mr. Soni stressed. 'If teachers can't focus fully on teaching, how can education improve?'
There are five grades in primary school, and each grade should have at least one separate teacher because the material for each class is different. We need different classrooms as well, said Mr. Soni.
'Despite this broken system, teachers must ensure students score above E; otherwise, their increments get halted and face issues in assured career promotion,' he added.
The ripple effect post RTE amendment
Following RTE amendments, some states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Delhi, abandoned the no-detention policy and began requiring children to repeat classes. Others, like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, citing concerns over exam pressure, chose to retain the policy.
States including Punjab introduced public examinations for Grades 5 and 8.
Karnataka, too, issued a directive in 2023 mandating board exams for Classes 5 and 8. The decision was challenged in court, where a single-judge bench initially nullified the order, but a division bench later reversed the ruling, allowing the government to proceed.
Last year, though, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Karnataka government for conducting half-yearly board examinations for Classes 8, 9, and 10, directing the State to halt the exams and withhold results.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu state education department had planned to introduce board exams for Classes 5 and 8 in 2019 but withdrew the decision in 2020 after backlash from students, teachers, and activists.
While State education bodies have taken varied stances on the no-detention policy and exams, teachers and activists continue to raise important questions over whether an end-of-the-year board exam can provide authentic assessment.