'After receiving unprecedented support on turning Class X exam optional, we had initial plans to make Class XII exam optional too. However, nothing has been finalised yet,' said a senior official of CBSE.
Ideally, it should have been the logical extension for Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to make Class XII board exam optional, after getting full support from students, parents, and teachers in successfully turning Class X board exam optional.
But, officials of CBSE told DNA that the board was yet to take a
final call on making Class XII exam optional in the near future.
“After receiving unprecedented support on turning Class X exam optional, we had initial plans to make Class XII exam optional too. However, nothing has been finalised yet,” said a senior official of CBSE.
The CBSE made Class X board exams optional from 2011, as part of its Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system, which had been introduced for Class IX in 2009-10. Although there was some apprehension among parents, the number of students who opted out of the board examination showed that the scheme was popular.
In the very first year that the option was made available, about two-thirds of students opted out of the board exam. CBSE sources said about five lakh students chose to take the school examination.
The total number of students studying in Class X in schools affiliated to the CBSE across India is 8.23 lakh.
On Class XII exam, however, the CBSE wants to wait for a few more years, before making a final decision. However, at the 17th National Annual Conference of Sahodaya School Complexes 2010 in Bangalore, CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi had hinted that Class XII board exams would also be made optional in the near future.
“We are concentrating on making CCE system successful before taking any further decision in regard to our exam reforms,” said the official.
In order to make CCE successful, the board is making all attempts to provide proper training to its teachers. “The board is closely working with its various schools and teachers to make the scheme successful. It is stressing on the need to develop better coordination among the teachers in order to implement it well,” added Joshi.
In fact, many teachers complain that because of CCE, their workload has increased many folds.
Since 2009, the board had been conducting regular teachers’ training programmes on CCE, across the country.
Joshi also stressed on the need to empower teachers to make all the reforms introduced by CBSE successful.
The CBSE has already started conducting special induction programmes to train principals of schools across the country.
Joshi said that the board was working with private companies to build a curriculum to empower teachers.
“Empowering teachers is a must. We also want teachers to give us regular feedback on all our reform works,” he said.
The board is the first in the country to take bold steps like making Class X exams optional for students and introducing CCE, where students will be assessed throughout the year in various scholastic and co-scholastic activities.
CBSE is one of the 41 boards in the country. Around 11,550 schools in India are affiliated to the board. The board also has 153 affiliated schools in 23 foreign countries.
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