Mumbai: Most students studying in city’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools will not be affected if Class X board examinations are made compulsory as a majority have already appeared for it, said principals of CBSE schools.
“Only two to three percent of students in a batch did not appear for the boards while most appear,” said the principal of a Malad CBSE school. It was mostly parents who wanted them to appear for the boards since they felt it has more value as compared to school-based Comprehensive Evaluation System in which the school evaluates. Also, if the child wished to change the board from CBSE to say state board, the student will need to show a board exam certificate. No other boards have kept appearing for Class X board examination optional.
During the orientation itself, some CBSE schools make it clear to the parents that though the board has given an option, the students will have to appear for the board exam. One principal said that making boards mandatory was a good step because if students opted for the school-based system of Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) it will result in a lot of paper-work for the schools.
“Our school lays emphasis on activity-based learning so that the students don’t feel stressed. But speaking generally, students do feel anxious because their parents keep repeating that they have to appear for the boards. But if parents don’t pressurize them, a lot of anxiety can be avoided,” said Radhamani Iyer, principal of Arya Gurukul, Kalyan.
CBSE highest decision making body decided on Tuesday to make Class X board examinations mandatory like before. The decision however needs approval of the HRD Ministry before becoming applicable.
