KOCHI: The Central government’s decision to cancel the Class 10 CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) examinations and postpone that of Class 12 has left both parents and students in a tizzy. In the wake of many students — especially those in Class 10 — expressing concern if their grades would get affected, National Council of CBSE Schools (NCCS) secretary-general Indira Rajan has said students and parents had no cause for worry. “The CBSE will take steps keeping the students’ future in mind. All decisions made by the board to date have been student-friendly. It will remain so in the coming days as well,” she said. She added that the NCCS welcomed the Centre’s decision regarding the examinations.
“I have been getting queries from parents regarding the grading and assessment of Class 10 students. They are worried the Board’s present decision will lead to the creation of uniform grades. This will be an injustice to those students who score above 95 per cent marks. However, no such thing will happen,” she said.The NCCS secretary-general added the Board officials will hold an online meetings with parents soon to clear all their doubts regarding the examinations and dispel their anxiety.The Board will also send directives to the schools concerned regarding the assessment process, Indira said.
“Discussions are on and a decision will be arrived at in a day or two. Rest assured, all students won’t be getting the same grades. Also, the Board has said provisions to write examinations will be made for students who feel their grades are not what they expected,” she said.
“Unlike the state syllabus, CBSE examinations are a national-level exercise. Even the evaluation happens in a centralised manner. So, at a time when Covid cases are on the rise, the entire process needs to be reevaluated to consider the safety of not only the students, but also of teachers and non-teaching staff,” she said.
Pointing out that many states saw students and teachers getting infected after the practical examinations, Indira added that the NCCS had in a letter to the Union Ministry of Education sought vaccination for all teaching and non-teaching staff in CBSE schools. “The schools are ready to conduct the exams. Every school has made the required preparations. However, the increase in Covid cases brought everything to nought,” she said.