Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Given the current worsening situation of corona pandemic in the country, Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on Tuesday cancelled the ICSE (Class X) 2021 examination.
The board had earlier given students the option for taking the exam at a later date. Those who didn’t choose to appear for the exam would have been evaluated on a “fair and unbiased” criterion, the board had said on Friday. This decision now stands withdrawn.
“Given the present worsening situation of Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the CISCE has decided to cancel the ICSE (Class X) 2021 examination. The options given earlier .. now stands withdrawn. The safety and wellbeing of our students and teaching faculty is our topmost priority and of paramount interest,” CISCE stated.
Besides, the board announced that all CISCE affiliated schools (having ISC section) are hereby advised to begin admission process for class XI. “In addition, schools should prepare a schedule to begin online classes for class XI students at the earliest.
The syllabus to be followed is the ISC 2023 syllabus,” the notification said. The notification also stated that a fair and unbiased criterion to declare the class X result will be announced later, along with the date of the result declaration.
Indore schools have welcomed the move. “Student’s health is more important and with more than 1,700 cases reported in a day in Indore, we need to be careful and follow requisite measures for controlling the outspread of coronavirus,” Yasmin, principal of a CISCE affiliated school in Indore, said.
She added that following Central Board of Secondary Education and state boards’ announcement, most schools estimated that CISCE will follow suit and cancel class X examination.
“Assessment is essential but we cannot afford to delay the examinations indefinitely and then expect students to complete the combined course of class XI and class XII in allotted time. So, it is a pragmatic decision,” Yasmin said.
“We had prepared for examinations well, so we were hoping to attempt the examination but also, we don’t want to be a cause for further spread of coronavirus that is taking lives everyday,” a group of students including Anjali, Jahnvi and Krishma, said.
