Relief as ICSE board cancels grade 10 exam
GRADE 11 ADMISSIONS TO START AHEAD OF DECISION ON ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Chief Reporter
The Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) yesterday cancelled ICSE grade 10 board exams in view of the worsening Covid-19 situation in India.
The option for students to appear later has been withdrawn, Gerry Arathoon, secretary and chief executive of the CISCE, said. “We are committed to devise a fair and unbiased criterion for declaring class 10 results. The criterion as well as the date of declaration fo results will be announced later,” he added.
Arathoon said that the deferred status of grade 12 exams remains unchanged.
The CISCE advise its affiliated schools to begin the admissions process for Class 11. “A fair and an unbiased” criterion on which the basis for grade 10 results will be awarded, is going to be announced “later”.
What happened last year?
The CISCE cancelled exams last year because of the pandemic and students were evaluated based on internal assessment. They were assessed based on the best three percentage marks obtained in subjects for which board exams were conducted and the marks of their internal assessment as well as project work were taken into account.
There are four ICSE schools in the UAE whose principals are now awaiting further guidance from CISE on the criterion for grade 10 results and new exam dates for grade 12.
‘A wise decision that gives clarity to students’
CISCE’s latest announcement brings clarity to students, said Sheela Menon, principal of Ambassador School, Dubai.
“The earlier option was unsettling. This is a wise decision that gives clarity to students. We have now been given a go-ahead for grade 11 classes, which is crucial for us,” she said.
The academic year in Indian schools begins in April.
After last week’s announcement, some educators in the UAE had wondered how teachers would cover a full curriculum in six months’ time. The syllabus to be followed is the ISC 2023 syllabus, the council said in a circular to schools.
‘Internal assessment marks already sent in February’
Nargish Khambatta, principal of GEMS Modern Academy, and vice-president — Education, GEMS Education, said: “The situation this year is slightly different as no exams have yet been conducted. In 2020, the CISCE had requested for pre-board marks of the previous two years. We anticipate a similar request this year as well as they have assured principals in their circular dated April 19, 2021, that a ‘fair and unbiased criterion’ will be used to assess grade 10 students. ICSE schools have already submitted internal assessment marks in February via the online portal.”
What’s next?
Khambatta added: “While the board results will be announced later, all grade 10 students will be admitted to grade 11 at GEMS Modern Academy. We look forward to welcoming them back on April 25. Having prepped for so many months, we are sure the students are raring to go ... teachers have planned a special celebratory welcome.”