Maharashtra teachers oppose common exam timetable for Classes 1-9 citing lack of time, regional hardships

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra teachers' body has opposed the common exam timetable for Classes 1 to 9 issued by the government, majorly citing lack of sufficient time. The teachers have suggested an alternate schedule with exams from April 8-12.

Recently, in a major announcement, the state government introduced a common date sheet for the Periodic Assessment Test (PAT) for the primary and upper primary classes with an aim to ensure uniformity across schools. As per the time table, the exams will be held from April 9 to 12 for all classes and schools have been asked to declare results by May 1.

In a letter to the director of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary School Headmasters' Association Federation cited lack of time to check the answer sheets and prepare results, difficulty in conduct of exams in certain regions, and inability to hold extra-curricular activities with the given schedule.

After the last exam on April 25, 2025, the teachers’ association argued, there will not be sufficient time within the next four to five days to check answer sheets, prepare the consolidated results, write progress books, and complete the necessary documentation.

In secondary schools, there are subject-specific teachers. With a class size of 60-70 students and a workload of at least five subjects, checking 350 to 400 answer sheets in four to five days to prepare results is not feasible due to the lack of sufficient time, the federation reasoned.

Pointing out the regional difficulties, the teachers advised against conducting exams in some talukas of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and other districts in view of harsh heat, water scarcity, and other conditions.

The teachers’ body further said that every year, the exams are completed by April 10 or 12, after which, remedial teaching, handwriting improvement classes, and various extracurricular activities such as drawing, music, dance, drama, swimming, etc., are organized in the schools to introduce students to different artistic skills. “If the exams are held until April, these activities cannot be conducted,” it stated.

Maharashtra annual exams for Classes 1 to 9

In view of these challenges, the association recommended the following schedule for exams and sought permission for schools to conduct exams for other subjects before these dates.