Class 12 board exams: CBSE, ICSE mulling cancellation, alternative assessment

According to PTI, cancellation of exams, adoption of an alternative assessment route and going ahead with the exams in a truncated format are on cards.

“While majority states have favoured the option proposed by the CBSE about shorter duration exams for major subjects in August, the Covid-19 situation is still being reviewed and cancellation of exams and marking students on basis of previous exams is still an option,” the news agency quoted a source as saying.

On the other hand, the CICSE has asked affiliated schools to submit an average of marks obtained by the class 12 students in their class 11 and during this session.

“The CISCE is in the process of collating and collecting data from all our schools presenting candidates for class 12 examination. You are, therefore, requested to provide the requested information for class 12 candidates,” CISCE Secretary Gerry Arathoon said in a letter to school principals marked as “strictly confidential”.

Although they are yet to clarify if the board will go ahead with the cancellation of exams, schools are on their toes to meet the 7 June deadline.

Meanwhile, the Union ministry of education has maintained that “nothing has been finalised yet and a final decision will be announced by 1 June. The minister has already stressed that safety of students is a priority but these exams are crucial too”.

The Supreme Court will also hear on 31 May a plea seeking directions to cancel the class 12 exams of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) amidst a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.

“Be optimistic. Maybe by Monday (31 May), some resolution will be there,” a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari told the petitioner in a hearing on Friday.

High-level meeting on board exams

As students and their parents are continuing to demand the cancellation of exams, the ministry had called a high-level meeting last Sunday to deliberate on the issue. The meeting was also attended by state education ministers and education secretaries.

The CBSE had proposed two options — conducting regular exams for only major subjects at notified centres or holding shorter-duration exams at the school where a student is enrolled.

The proposed timeline for conducting the exams was between 15 July to 26 August and declaring the results in September. States were asked to submit detailed suggestions by 25 May.

Majority states opted for the second option which included conducting 90 minutes exams for major subjects at their home schools. Few states also insisted on vaccinating students before going ahead with the exams.

Both CBSE and ICSE had postponed the class 12 exams scheduled in May-June in view of the aggressive second wave of Covid-19 across the country. The boards have cancelled class 10 exams.

With inputs from agencies.