NEW DELHI: Announcement for class 10 board exams to be introduced again is in the anvil as far as schools affiliated with CBSE are concerned.
Most probably the announcement will be made by Mr. Prakash Javadekar, HRD Minister on 25th October and is being hailed as his first major decision since taking charge of the ministry. It is being expected that the board exams will be back from 2018.
This will be accompanied by an announcement regarding ‘No-detention’ policy’, under which students will be automatically promoted till Class V. For class 6th till 8th, individual states will come up with options making sure that students who fail get an opportunity to take a‘re-test’.
In 2010, the CBSE Class 10 board examinations were scrapped and the current continuous and comprehensive evaluation was introduced instead, that provides for tests and grading through the year with the objective of reducing pressure on students.
The decision to reintroduce class X Board examinations were taken owing to feedback from states and representative organisations of parents and teachers that due to scrapping of class X Board exams and introduction of no-detention policy academic standards were getting degraded. However statistics revealed that the number of drop-outs has reduced.
People favouring the retention of board exams feel that class X board exams lay the right foundation for class XII exams which are really crucial for students.
The no-detention policy was proving detrimental to students for it promoted an under-performing student just from one class to another and also decreased the authority of students.
As the formula for "no-detention" seems complex, "it is for states to decide if they want to detain a child in class 5, 6 or 7 or in all of these classes," a source said. But a re-test will be made compulsory for students who fail from class VI to VIII. A CABE committee headed by Rajasthan education minister Vasudev Devnani also ruled against the ‘no-detention’ policy and recommended re-tests. However, this decision has not been welcomed by NCERT.
While no legislative amendment is required for reintroducing class X Board exams, a change in the’ no-detention’ policy will require an amendment in section 16 of the Right to Education Act.