KOCHI: CBSE’s draft scheme for two exams for Class X has raised doubts and created confusion. As per the draft scheme, two exams will be conducted for Class X to enable students to improve their performance. However, according to stakeholders, the draft scheme doesn’t consider various factors.
One major concern raised by parents is the schedule for the two exams. “As per the tentative date sheet, it can be seen that the exams extend to May and the results would only come in by the end of May or early June. However, in Kerala and most of the southern states, the admissions to Class XI under state boards start in May and finish by June. Hence, students from CBSE who want to join the state boards would find themselves in a difficult situation,” said a teacher of a CBSE school in Kochi.
Getting a chance to improve their marks is very good, said the teacher. “However, how beneficial would it be if the results come in after the last date to submit the applications for the state board Plus I course?” she asked. Another factor that has not been taken into consideration is the adverse climatic conditions in May.
Another teacher at a prominent school in the city said, “When there stands a directive that students shouldn’t be forced to write exams when the summer is at its peak, especially in South India, scheduling exams in May seems to be contradictory.”
Earlier, on the day the draft scheme was published on the CBSE website, the non-inclusion of certain regional and foreign languages led to widespread confusion, and protests erupted from various quarters. However, later the CBSE issued a clarification saying that the list of subjects contained in the draft date sheet had been given only as an example. “All subjects and languages offered will be continued in the academic year 2025-26,” clarified CBSE.
Meanwhile, the National Council of CBSE Schools (NCCS) is undertaking a nationwide initiative to consolidate state-wise feedback on the proposed two-exam policy, said Indira Rajan, secretary general, NCCS. “This initiative considers key factors such as student well-being and academic pressure, operational and administrative challenges, evaluation criteria and student performance, integration with higher education and career opportunities, as well as varied climatic conditions and regional challenges during this period.
Gathering diverse perspectives will help in refining the policy to ensure it is both effective and feasible for implementation across different educational environments,” said the letter sent to the managements and principals of CBSE-affiliated schools all over India.
“As part of the effort, the Council of CBSE Schools Kerala will be collecting inputs from schools across the state to present a unified perspective. The consolidated feedback will be compiled into a memorandum and submitted to the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and CBSE authorities, ensuring that the concerns and recommendations of schools are effectively communicated at the national level,” said CCSK.