The X Board Exam made optional : a boon or a curse..??

by - Vishakha Gopinath

No more exam fear, no more tension as the 10^th board exam is being made optional in CBSE schools in India. In 2009, Kapil Sibal had announced the landmark decision to make the CBSE X board exam optional in future, this decision was taken to de-stress school students. Thus the board exams today do not bring much of a disturbance to the minds of the students who are presently pursuing their 10th grade in the CBSE system.  The new system will evaluate students on the basis of grades. Sixty percent of the grades will depend on internal examinations, which will be held by different schools using their own question papers. The 10^th std. CBSE students would be graded in the following manner:

A-1  : 91-100 Exceptional

A-2  : 81-90 Excellent

B-1  : 71-80 Very Good

B-2  : 61-70 Good

C-1  : 51-60 Fair

C-2  : 41-50 Average

D     : 33-40 Below Average

E-1  : 21-32 Need Improvement

E-2  : 00-20 Unsatisfactory   

The answer sheets of the students will also be evaluated internally. The remaining 40 percent will be based on a ‘continuous and comprehensive evaluation' of qualities, such as, speaking skills and physical education. This is followed to help students zero-in on appropriate choice of subjects/ stream in Class XI-XII; CBSE schools will offer an Aptitude Test at the end of Class IX as well as Class X. The first such aptitude test was held on February 2010. “While there will be no Board examination at Class X in Senior Secondary schools since the students will be entering Class XI in the same school, he/she will be able to appear for an optional board exam in the online or offline assessment format if he/she requires a Class X certificate in case of moving to another state board for any reason or due to relocation of parents,” HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said.

It might seem that the students are freed from the burden of writing the board exam but would this help them in the long run? Would the students not face this pressure later in future? What about when they have to write their 12th board exams?

There are a whole lot of people who think of various factors when it comes to finalizing weather giving the option to the students of writing their board exam is a boon or a bane.

Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ambazari, principal CD Grace blasted the decision saying that students and parents will have a casual and relaxed approach and this will further dilute the quality of education. “The grade system is still in place along with marks. However, the competitive spirit will not develop among the students and it would be hard to differentiate between students. I think, the students of Class X are mature enough nowadays to appear for the board exam and decide on their future and there’s no need to scrap the exam,” she said.

Vedvati Albal, who was the second all-India topper in Std X exam conducted by the CBSE, however hailed the move stating that it will help in reducing the stress and discrimination among students.

“Of course competitive spirit will not be there anymore as there will be no merit list, but it would lead to a healthy competition. The craze to top the exam will be diminished, but there is chance to score in later stages,” she states.

Teachers think that it is a sound decision; students are a little confused over what the change meant for them. They said that they support the introduction of grades but are not in favor of making Class X Boards optional as it helps us to be better prepared to face the Class XII examination and competitive entrance tests later on. The concept of being under the scanner all year long has evoked apprehension among students.         

When it comes to answering this question from one set of parents, they believe that the child might feel stressed throughout the year with regular homework and tests. But they feel that the focus on everyday learning is a great idea, provided it is implemented earnestly.

On the other hand there are parents who feel that this change has made their children lethargic and lazy as they are no longer are afraid and don’t make it a point to give in their best for the exams, and when it comes to teaching, parents feel that even the teachers have gone asleep on the job!

This grading system has already been adapted in the United States where the students end up devoting a lot of time in their projects and homework, where in they not only understand the concept but also learn to apply them where ever required. The American educational system comprises 12 grades of study over 12 calendar years of primary and secondary education before graduating and becoming eligible for college admission. After pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, there are five years in primary school (normally known as elementary school). After completing five grades, the student will enter junior high or middle school and then high school to get the high school diploma. In US, high grades are awarded to reward and encourage rather than to single out absolute perfection. Statistics show that educators in US have always been more generous in the award of an A grade than those in Europe. However each state or territory has their own grading system.

As far as the Indian education system in concerned this decision is applied only in the CBSE board and not in the Matriculation system, and as far as the question whether the option of writing the board exam is a boon or a curse? This, only time can tell and will largely depend upon how effectively the schools implement CCE.