The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Education Board (GSHEB) has mooted a proposal to do away with the class X exam. The idea is that a system of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) throughout the year and final exams conducted by the school are sufficient to evaluate a student. If it is implemented, is this step advisable? What are the pros and cons? How will it impact quality of education?
First, we spoke to an executive member of the GSHEB, Bhaskar Patel to know the rationale behind the proposal. "In Gujarat we have implemented CCE in class IX. The experiment has proved successful. So, why not introduce it in class X as well?" he asks.
Moreover, more than 10 lakh students appear for class X exam in the state and the pass percentage is 50-55%. The rest drop out of the education stream. Instead, if they are promoted to class XI, it would encourage them to study further, he says. Parents need not spend exorbitant amounts on tuition fees for class X students, adds Patel.
Says Sridhar Rajgopalan, MD of city-based Educational Initiatives: "The board exams should not be scrapped or made optional but they should be transformed so that they check for understanding, application and analytical ability. Today's tests rely largely on rote learning. The vision should be that the Gujarat SSC exam should be as good as the best in the world. It should give a scope for and measure ability to write and think originally and creatively."
Prof Rajeev Sharma, faculty member of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad who works extensively in the field of education, feels that the proposal is good provided there are proper checks and balances. It would make learning child-friendly and motivate students to do perform better, he says.
The process of filtration is better if there is a board exam, feels Ranjita Gill, principal of HB Kapadia school. “As it is the stress factor in class X is much less than class XII," she says.
Father Ferdinand Durai, principal of St Xavier's Loyola Hall, also feels the class X board exam should stay. "Students should undergo a test with a common syllabus, exam pattern and correction system at this stage. Also, some need to change schools after class X and need board results for this purpose."
Shyam Sundar Das, an English teacher, is of the same view. "At the age of 15-16, students should get to know their calibre. This will help them in choosing the right stream in class XI. The board exam result is the best judge at this stage," he says.
Deepali Deodhar is relieved that her daughter will be giving the class X boards. "While parents and teachers should not pressurise kids, in India we are still dependent on the exam system and marks for assessment," she says.
"A board exam is necessary, or else children will not study," says Victoria George whose daughter studies in class IX in Mount Carmel School.
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