CISCE schools asked to submit class 11 marks of class 12 students
A number of school principals are of the view that the council may not hold class 12 ISC exams or may go for truncated tests in July
We have faith in the Council that they will do what is best for the students. It has always been a student friendly board AASHRITA DASS, La Martiniere Girls College principal
Feedback from students can be taken in case of online exams. Maybe, they can come up with better ideas ANIL AGARWAL, MD of St Joseph’s group of institutions
LUCKNOW : The schools affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) in Lucknow and elsewhere are busy uploading the marks obtained by Indian School Certificate (ISC) class 12 students when they were in class 11 in the Council’s portal. Such a step was “desired” by council secretary Gerry Arathoon through a “confidential letter” dated May 27. HT has a copy of that letter.
“The CISCE is in the process of collating and collecting data from all our schools presenting candidates for class 12 examination. You are, therefore, requested to provide the requested information for class 12 candidates,” CISCE secretary Arathoon said in a letter to school principals.
A number of school principals were of the view that the council may not hold class 12 ISC exams or may go for truncated tests in July for a few major subjects and it may award marks for other subjects on the basis of the performance of the students when they were in class 11.
The CISCE, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and UP Secondary Education Board have all cancelled their class 10 exams due to the Covid-19 situation in the country. It now remains to be seen whether the class 12 board exams will be held.
Anil Agarwal, managing director of St Joseph’s group of institutions, said, “The council must conduct the exams for class 12, be it online or offline, of less duration with one language paper and two mainstream papers (science, commerce or humanities). On that basis, marks can be awarded for the rest of the subjects.”
“Awarding marks randomly or on the basis of final exam of class 11, mid-term exam or preboard of class 12 is not the solution,” said Agarwal, who is president of the Unaided Private Schools Association, UP.
City Montessori School founder manager Jagdish Gandhi said, “We are duty-bound to obey the council and shall submit the data required by them. It is in the interest of the children that the class 12 exams are held, even as late as August, as the students have worked hard to prepare for the boards, and it would not be fair to judge them on the basis of their previous performance.”
Gandhi also said, “Moreover, cases of corona have come down drastically in the last one month and it is expected that with the government’s able handling of the situation, things will improve further by July-August, paving the way for exams to be held.” Mala Mehra, principal of Hoerner College, Lucknow, said, “The given conditions of the spread of pandemic warrant alternative planning in the face of possible cancellation of the ISC-12 examinations…The request put forth by the council is the only choice.”
La Martiniere Girls College principal Aashrita Dass said, “We have faith in the Council that they will do what is best for the students. It has always been a student friendly board.”
Some students are unhappy with the possibility of previous marks being awarded in the class 12 board exams.
For instance, Aleena Rizvi, a student of La Martiniere Girls College, said, “Marking the students on class 11 and 12 average marks would be unfair.”
The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a plea seeking cancellation of Class 12 board exams in view of Covid-19 in the country. The plea, filed by advocate Mamta Sharma, came up for hearing on Friday and was adjourned to Monday. It has sought directions to cancel the CBSE and ISC Class 12 examinations.