CBSE Term 1 board exams have finished this Saturday, 11th December 2021.
The last exam was English Language and Literature, which was in the limelight because of significant issues. Students were having problems with the passage of one set of question paper.
"The grade 10 English paper was not an easy and simple one. It was a standard paper in terms of difficulty level. In the reading section, the first comprehension passage, which had a total of 8 marks weightage, had ambiguous questions which students could not relate to the passage given," said Nagaveni T, Principal of Orchids International School, Bangalore.
The same passage raised questions among the students, parents, and leaders. The passage included the paragraph saying that emancipation of women destroyed the parents' authority over the children, and it was only by accepting her husband's way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones, among others.
Following outrage over the board allegedly encouraging, "gender stereotyping" and supporting, "regressive beliefs", the CBSE removed a comprehension text and accompanying questions from the Class-10 English test on Monday, December 13, and opted to grant full marks to students.
"The reading comprehension test in the grade 10 English exam is not just words. It represents the thought process of a society. There is a bigger responsibility on the question paper setters and a team that edits. Exposing students to such, polarised views can be detrimental in this highly impressionable age. Educational institutions have to choose their words carefully, as they have the power to shape society and not merely reflect it," said Renuka Chhabra, Principal, Orchids International, Seawoods.
Manit Sankhla, a student from Jaipur said, "How is granting marks to the passage justified, why did this question even appear? We live in a country where one hand talks about empowering women, and on the other hand, criticizes empowering and independent women in its national level examination."
He even added, "Giving free marks over such questions, can change some students' mindset forever."
Arushi Singh, a student from Omkar English School said, "They should have gone for the easy passage as other sets. This passage was a whole mess."
"It’s time to revisit our educational philosophies and introspect to understand what is that we are trying to inculcate within our learners. Let us ponder over this and enable learners to rule this world tomorrow with respect for each other," expresses Jemi Sudhakar, Principal, Orchids International, Nagabhavi.
