The Tamil Nadu School Education Department recently announced that the proposed public exams for class 5 to class 8 which will begin with the academic year 2019-2020, will not hold back any students even if they fail them. While they have said that this arrangement will continue for the next three years, the criticism of public exams for students as young as 10 years of age has taken center-stage once again, this time with actor-politician Kamal Haasan at the forefront. 

Speaking against the new National Education Policy (NEP) and TN government's week old order about these board exams, Haasan on Wednesday said, "..Public exams for 10-year-olds is equivalent to tying rocks to the wings of a dragonfly..Pass percentage won’t increase because of this system, only the pressure on students and their parents will increase. The damage to be endured by the societal imbalances caused by these marks, will be more than that caused by caste and religion.."

An 8th standard graduate himself, Haasan who recently also spoke about Hindi Imposition said, "There are many reasons why I quit studying after Class 8. But today, if a student stops studying after Class 8 the only reason is your new exam rule..” and concluded, "Makkal Needhi Maiam strongly condemns this scheme which is not even remotely useful for the future of the children and demands that it to be revoked.."