JOIN USThere was a time when Board exams used to be no less than a nightmare which made the students and their parents dread ‘D-day’! Now with Boards becoming optional in Std X and many scoring perfect 100s in Std XII, Metrolife checks out if the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation scheme (CCE) has managed to de-stress the student at all?
The so-called marking criterion has been made “lenient” and “student-friendly”. This is a major reason for substantial increase in the rise of 100 per centers. If the academia is to be believed then the change in pattern of examination and marking has led to the students obtaining high marks. But is it feasible to score these marks even in languages?
Sudha Singh, Ryan International, Noida says, “Things have changed. The pattern of question papers is more functional and if a student has attempted well and the system is allowing it, we don’t want to de-motivate or deprive the child of her/his 100 per cent.”
Is it limited to motivating the child or does the real interest lie beyond? Is the 100 per cent granted – to meet the requirement of schools so that they can prove themselves through results given the cut-throat competition?
It is surprising that even though the Std X boards were optional for students, many schools did not allow their students to take up external examination and instead opted for home school papers under the two year old concept of CCE. A student of a top school in Delhi confesses on the condition of anonymity, “We were not allowed to appear for external boards, apart from one of my classmate who had to change the Board after Std X, due to personal reasons.”
In any case, mark sheets do not bear a clause or star which clarifies whether a child has appeared for external or internal exams - a fact that schools seem to taking advantage of.
Some teachers favour the schools’ decision. For instance, Mridula Aggarwal, who teaches English to class X in Springdales, Pusa Road, says, “As a school we have not opted for Boards. Why increase the students’ stress? We want them to develop naturally.” She vouches for the grading system, “Unlike our times, the language paper is broken up and thus allows children to gain more marks and provides them an opportunity to think creatively.” However, others confess that, “The marks and cut-offs are unrealistically high!” A senior teacher of DPS admits, “Today students feel let down even after obtaining reasonably good marks.”
She pointedly adds, “In languages it is not possible to get such high marks! One may be doing well in studies and the system might be student-friendly but acquiring a 97 in language means ‘near perfection’! If everyone gets a 97 or 98 then what about those getting 93? I have seen students getting 92 and crying saying, ‘I have done so badly’!”
What kind of future are we moving towards as the scope of improvement after a 100 per cent is negligible? Sunila Athley, principal, Amity International School, Vasundhra, Sector 6, defends CCE. “It is a noble initiative to de-stress students but every new system has hiccups and takes time to settle down.” She does agrees though that “As an academician, it is difficult to believe students get such high marks and there is a need for change in system across board (to correct the flaws).”
Sunila was a member of the group of seven teachers that was sent to Australia by CBSE and NHRD to study the CCE pattern. Comparing the two scenarios, Sunila says, “It is sad to see students here getting admission on the basis of marks alone. We need a system where college admissions also requires other components of students’ personality rather than mere marks.”
And if the rat race has to be stopped, then a shift towards sports and vocational studies is crucial. Sunila says, “In sporting nations such as Australia, sportsmen are given priority in jobs, contrary to the Indian scenario where parents and teachers dread encouraging the child in sports as it plummets his/her academic performance. Also, abroad, vocational studies are an equally good option after Std X as other streams and students opt for it voluntarily. It is the opposite here because if a student is unable to perform well in academics, then the option of vocational studies is mulled over.”
For all the claims made by proponents of CCE, it is ironical that students are more stressed out than before and reality check says, that non-academic options are options in the long run.