Bengaluru: Students studying in classes 5 and 8 in state board affiliated schools will have to appear for board exams from the next academic year (2017-18).

The decision to reintroduce the concept of public exams was taken by the Department of Primary and Secondary Education as that would improve the quality of education and also to prepare students for the board exams. Students will have board exams for class 10 or Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination as usual.

“If we conduct the board exams at the class 5 and 8 level, then students will take the board exam at class 10 seriously. If any student performs poorly in classes 5 and 8, they will not be promoted to the next class,” said an official from the department.

The talks to introduce board examinations in classes 5 and 8 were on from August 2015 were all states had come to a consensus at the Central Advisory Board for Education (CABE) meeting. The decision was left to state governments and Karnataka opted for the same.

It may be recalled, public exam was held for class 7 in the state a few years ago. It was discontinued after no detention policy was introduced, going by Right to Education (RTE) Act.