India cancels CBSE grade 10 exams, defers grade 12 exams
UAE schools will now decide on how to do internal assessment
India yesterday announced that the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) exams for grade 10 have been cancelled and exams for grade 12 postponed.
The results of grade 10 will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board.
The decision, prompted by the surge in Covid-19 cases in India, will impact thousands of students following the curriculum in the UAE.
Grade 12 exams will be held later, after the situation is reviewed on June 1 by the Board.
The decision evoked mixed feelings among educators and students in the UAE, who said they are studying the pros and cons of the situation. UAE schools will now have to decide how to do the internal assessment of grade 10 students based on CBSE guidelines expected by June, a principal said.
Grade 10 student Cyrus Jaison said he was “shocked” to hear the news of the cancellation. He said the board exam would have been “more convincing” of the grades.
There are an estimated 16,000 students in grades 10 and 12 in UAE’s CBSE schools.
The decision by India’s biggest school board yesterday to cancel grade 10 board exams and delay grade 12 exams will impact thousands of students following the curriculum in the UAE.
The CBSE’s (Central Board of Secondary Education) move was prompted by the surge in Covid-19 cases in India.
The decision evoked mixed feelings among educators and students in the UAE, who said they are studying the pros and cons of the situation. UAE schools will now have to decide how to do the internal assessment of grade 10 students based on CBSE guidelines expected by June, a principal said.
‘Good move. Universities will understand the situation’
Rashmi Nandkeolyar, principal and director, Delhi Private School Dubai, said: “It’s a really good move for grade 10 students because the Covid-19 situation is quite dire in India. However, it would have been okay for our students here to answer the exams.”
Regarding grade 12, Nandkeolyar said the exams were “high stakes” as students get into university based on the results. “It’s wait-and-watch right now. In case the situation eases [in India], then they can have the exams in June or July as most colleges start only in September,” she said.
Students can meanwhile start applying to university on the basis of their previous results in internal results, she added. “All universities know that virtually every [schoolleaving board] exam has been postponed or dropped. So all universities are in the mood to understand the situation,” Nandkeolyar added.
‘Unsettling ambiguity’
Nargish Khambatta, principal, GEMS Modern Academy, described the grade 12 situation as unsettling. “Indian parents consider the Board exams to be a major milestone, and students and teachers worked very hard despite the pandemic. The move to delay the high stakes grade 12 exam, and the ambiguity around it, is unsettling for students,” she said.
The cancelling of grade 10 exams has “had a bittersweet impact, with some feeling relieved and others disappointed. The focus will now shift to the result declaration as the objective criterion is still under construction”, Khambatta said.
Safety comes first
Teresa Varman, Principal & CEO, GEMS Millennium School Sharjah, said the decision “to place the health, safety and well-being of students above all else has been deeply appreciated” by students and parents. Most schools, she added, start grade 11 based on students’ internal marks even before the grade 10 results are released.
“The cancellation of grade 10 exams is a relief. While the move to delay grade 12 exams will cause some disruption with regard to students’ plans, it is the best decision given the present situation. We have every faith that the CBSE will always work in the best interest of all students,” Varman said.
‘Enough data to allot marks to our grade 10 students’
Lalitha Suresh, Principal, GEMS Our Own Indian School, said the school is favourably placed to handle the grade 10 exam cancellation.
“We have conducted internal assessments and two preboard exams for our students. Hence, we have enough data to allot marks. We will wait for the CBSE to send us details of the objective criterion so that we can start [grade 11] for these students without any further delay,” she added.