Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh circular from the Director of General Education has sparked confusion by directing schools to conduct the SAY (Save a Year) examination for Class 9 students. This circular contradicts an earlier announcement by the department, which stated that the minimum marks criteria and the SAY system would be implemented only for Class 8 in the current academic year. It had also clarified that these practices would be extended to Class 9 only next year.

However, the latest circular issued by the Director of General Education, S Shanavas, instructs that students who were not promoted based on the Class 9 public examination results should be given a chance to appear for the existing SAY examination. It further directs schools to prepare question papers internally and conduct the exams before May 10, enabling the promotion of deserving candidates.

The directive has left school teachers across the state perplexed. They point out that no such system currently exists for Class 9, nor have they received any official communication about its introduction this year. Despite reaching out to the General Education Department for clarification, they report receiving conflicting responses. Attempts by Malayala Manorama to contact the Director of General Education for clarification were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, the office of General Education Minister V Sivankutty maintains that the SAY examination has not been implemented for Class 9 and that the current examinations are meant only for students who missed the regular public exams. However, the circular from the Director appears to issue separate instructions even for students who were unable to attend the earlier examination.

Adding to the confusion, the circular also touches upon the promotion criteria set for Classes 1 to 7. As per existing policy, all students who appear for the annual exams in these classes are to be promoted. Yet, the circular mentions that only those who are “deserving” should be promoted. The ambiguity surrounding the term has further deepened concerns among teachers and parents.