CBSE LIKELY TO BRING CLASS 10 BOARDS BACK

NEW DELHI: The optional class 10 board exam is likely to become mandatory again.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) may set the questions for the class 10 final exam for all its affiliated schools, reverting to a system that was in place till six years ago.

The matter will be discussed when the Union human resource development minister meets officials of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest advisory body for the Centre and state governments on education, on Tuesday.

“We have representation from a number of states and other representatives because the board exam is still optional in CBSE schools. A broad consensus on it already exists, but a final decision will be taken at the CABE meeting,” said Mahendra Nath Pandey, junior minister in the HRD ministry.

The CBSE, which runs more than 18,000 schools, offered in 2011 a choice to students to opt for the board examination or school assessment. Approximately 13,000 private schools across the country are affiliated to the board.

Many students preferred the second option for their class 10 finals as the general perception is that schools set easier questions for better overall results.

Making the board exam optional has been a subject of debate as the class 10 final is often considered the stepping stone to higher education. Every student had to sit for the class 10 board exam before the schoolbased system was introduced.