CBSE set to scrap Class 12 exam

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is continuing with its efforts to ease the burden of exams on its students.  After having made Class X exams optional, the board now aims at scrapping the Class XII board exams.

At the recently concluded 17th National Annual Conference of Sahodaya School Complexes 2010 held in Bangalore, CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi hinted that Class XII board exams would also be made optional in the near future.

Sources at CBSE said that the Class XII board exam is likely to become optional from 2013 onwards. The board’s latest initiative to do-away with Class XII board exam is part of its ongoing education reform, under the guidance of ministry of human resource development (MHRD).

Joshi also said that the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) scheme, currently applicable for students of Classes VI to X, would soon be extended to Class XI and XII.

The CCE scheme was introduced in 2009 in order to encourage a holistic assessment of students, including in co-scholastic areas of life skills, attitudes and values, sports and games, as well as co-curricular activities. One of the highlights of the CCE scheme is that there will be no bo

ard examination for Class 10 from 2011 for students in CBSE schools, and who do not wish to move out of the CBSE system after Class X.

In fact, in its maiden year when CBSE gave an option for students to opt out of board exams, 2/3rd of them had opted out of board exam. According to the sources, about five lakh students from senior secondary schools have opted out of the Class X board examinations that will be conducted in March 2011.

The total number of students studying in the Class X in schools affiliated to the CBSE across India is 8,23,125.

In order to make the CCE scheme successful, Joshi emphasised proper training of teachers. “The board is closely working with its various schools and teachers to make the CCE successful. The board is stressing the need to develop better coordination among the teachers in order to implement CCE,” added Joshi.

From 2009, the board has been conducting regular teachers’ training programmes on CCE, across the country. Joshi also stressed 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.

CBSE is the first among the 41 boards 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.

About 11,550 schools in India are affiliated to the board, which also  has 153 affiliated schools in 23 foreign countries.