Private schools seek reduced weightage for term-1 exam
NEW DELHI: Days after CBSE shared the Term-1 results of classes 10 and 12, a group representing several private schools in the Capital has written to the CBSE chairperson Dr Vineet Joshi, urging him to give a reduced weightage for CBSE Term-1 and Term-2 examinations for the 2021-22 academic year as several schools allegedly used malpractices to help students score better.
To be sure, CBSE is yet to decide weightage for the Term-1 and Term-2 tests, with a circular issued last week noting that it will be decided only after the final test.
The National Progressive School Conference (NPSC), an organisation of over 122 private schools in the city, said the Term-I examinations were conducted at the home centres, due to which many schools allegedly adopted malpractices and unfair means.
In view of the pandemic, CBSE had announced a twoterm board exam for this year, with Term-1 featuring a 90-minute multiple-choice questions (MCQ) test. The Term-2 theory examinations will begin on April 26 and will comprise a two-long hour subjective examination.
NPSC includes schools such as Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Bal Bharati Public School, Springdales School, Sanskriti School, Delhi Public Schools among others.
In its letter to the CBSE chairperson, NPSC sought a 20-30% weightage for Term-1 examination scores in the final board result.
“Unfortunately, the performance of students of the schools where the exams were conducted with complete honesty and integrity has not been at par with the aforementioned (schools). This has adversely affected the morale of all the stakeholders,” wrote NPSC chairperson Sudha Acharya, who is also the principal of ITL Public School, Dwarka.
“In order to maintain parity, we suggest you reduce the weightage of the Term-1 examination in the range of 20% to 30% and increase the weightage of the Term II examination...,” said Acharya, adding that such a decision will restore the students’ trust in the evaluation system.
Richa Sharma Agnihotri, principal of Sanskriti School, said that schools had received a short window to train students for the Term-1 exam and there were concerns around the manner in which the exam had been administered across different schools.
“One also hears that there are schools where children have scored full marks due to the manner in which the exam was conducted. Amid these doubts, giving massive weightage to Term-1 will not be fair to other children who have given the exam with honesty,” said Agnihotri.
Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, said the objective nature of the Term-1 exam was not fit for evaluation, especially for students in Class 12.
Arora said the situation during the Term-1 examination was not conducive due to which some students might not have been prepared.
“Some stakeholders have also raised concerns about the fact that the examination was conducted at home centres in many places. This has not gone down with some schools. Due to these doubts, it will be better if the weightage for Term-1 is lesser than the weightage for Term-2 examination,” said Arora.
A few government school administrators also said they supported a reduced weightage to Term-1 exams, albeit for different reasons.
Awadhesh Kumar Jha, principal, Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyalaya, Rohini, Sector 8, said that the MCQ based examination was not an efficient method of assessment and evaluation when compared with a subjective exam.
He also said that students had to face hardships due to digital divide and accessibility issues during remote learning which had hampered their learning.
In response to queries seeking a comment, a CBSE spokesperson referred to the circular issued by the board on Saturday. In its written statement following the Class 12 Term-1 result, CBSE outlined that the weightage given to the Term-1 and 2 performances will be decided at the time of declaration of the Term-2 result.
IN VIEW OF THE PANDEMIC, CBSE HAD ANNOUNCED A TWO-TERM BOARD EXAM FOR THIS YEAR, WITH TERM-1 FEATURING A 90-MINUTE MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS (MCQ) TEST