In a significant announcement, Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed on Monday that the state’s Class 10 board exam, known as the Matric exam, will be discontinued from the next academic year. Instead, the Class 10 examinations will be conducted at the school level, thus making it less formal than a statewide board examination.
Explaining the new approach, Sarma stated that the Class 10 exams will no longer be known as ‘Matric’ exams but will rather be conducted by individual schools or Academic Councils, acting as district-level internal examination boards.
The decision to modify the nature of the Class 10 exams was taken in line with the guidelines of the National Education Policy 2020. While the exam will still retain a pass and fail system, students will not need to take fresh admissions for Class 11, making the transition a seamless process.
The state’s Class 10 and Class 12 exams were previously conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba), and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), respectively. However, Sarma revealed plans to merge the two boards, an initiative that has been under consideration since a previous state government decision. A committee is currently determining the logistics of this merger.
Assurance to Employees: In light of the merger, Sarma provided reassurance that no jobs would be lost due to the amalgamation of Seba and AHSEC. The decision to abolish the separate Class 10 state board exam and merge the two education boards signals significant changes for Assam’s education system, aiming to create a streamlined and unified system in line with the National Education Policy 2020.
