Sat Mar 22 15:12:19 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Implements Minimum Passing Marks for 8th Graders, Announces Remedial Program
**Thiruvananthapuram, March 22, 2025** – The Kerala government has implemented a minimum passing mark requirement for eighth-grade students, sparking a new remedial program to support students who fall short. A meeting chaired by General Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Saturday outlined the plan.
Starting this academic year, students must achieve a minimum of 30% in each written subject. This translates to at least 12 marks out of 40 for a written paper. Following the release of results on April 4th, a list of students needing support will be compiled. Parents will be contacted, and remedial teaching will be provided from April 8th to 24th using a special module and retired teachers and trainers. These students will then take a retest, with results announced on April 30th.
The minimum marks policy will be extended to ninth grade next year and to grades eight through ten by the 2026-2027 academic year. Teachers will receive five days of training from May 19th to 23rd, covering new textbooks and AI in education. The government also plans to intensify anti-drug awareness programs in schools.
In other news, class X textbooks will be distributed to schools before the summer vacation, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to inaugurate the distribution on March 25th – a first for the state.
First Piper 