What is the future of board examinations?
Students of classes 10 and 12 finally have some clarity about their Board examinations. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on July 5 announced that the academic session 2021-2022 will be divided into two terms with each term dedicated to 50 per cent of the syllabus. In its statement, the CBSE said that this has been done to increase the probability of having a board-conducted examination for classes 10 and class 12 at the end of the academic session. The exams will be held at the end of each term as per the bifurcated syllabus. The exams for the first term will be held between November and December 2021 and for the second term between March and April. The move is the most practical one in the present situation. In view of the pandemic, the board had to cancel both class 10 and class 12 exams for the academic session 2020-2021. The new decision seems to be preparing for the future. Welcoming the decision, Harish Sanduja, director (Schools), Seth Anandram Jaipuria Schools, Ghaziabad, says, This will help the education system deal better with the current pandemic situation. It will also help schools collate student assessment data bi-annually." Though the technicalities might take some time to be worked out, educationists, school heads, parents and students are relieved that some clarity has been provided well in advance to avoid last-minute confusion. They feel the step is not only significant, but one in the right direction and that these changes would lead to reforms that will outlast the pandemic. Manit Jain, co-chair of FICCIs School Education Committee, FICCI Arise, and co- founder, Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Gurgaon, says "I am sure the details will get ironed out. What is laudable is the courage CBSE authorities are showing in embracing this much-needed change.  ALSO READ | CBSE examinations: Why most students want online tests  It is not the examination itself, but the high stakes on a single exam that leads to unwarranted stress. Any single exam can at best be an indicator of a childs performance in that moment and can never represent their true potential. The decision is at least an attempt to work in hybrid formats with a more inclusive approach towards projects and assessments, which are key to a better education system. The division of the academic session in two terms with 50 per cent syllabus in each term is what stands out. It is designed to be modular and less archaic wherein we will also see effectiveness of pedagogy in the way it is assessed," says Chandrabhanu Pattajoshi, founder, Goseeko, an ed-tech platform. The new assessment system, though, will help students to apply themselves and learn seriously throughout the year rather than have a fragmented approach where they only focus on the final exams. The second-term assessment, on the other hand, will make the education system more resilient towards uncertain and adverse events. It will also help schools prepare better for the semester system envisaged in the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Says Sanduja, "In a way, the second-term assessment divides the syllabus into two terms which will help students prepare better. It will also take the load off them a bit. Moreover, students who feel they underperformed in the first term will be inspired to do better in the second.    Students will also get closer to the international methods of teaching. CBSE has specified different situations under which the systems will be flexible to change based on the dynamic requirements. As students move towards higher education, they tend to only focus on exams and not the real application of learning," says Pattajoshi. This change in approach at the school level will bring in more changes in how they approach higher education. Schools, though, will need to update and prepare themselves along with the students to align to the guidelines of the NEP 2020. It's slightly early in the day to debate the cons of the decision. "We must wait for some time to see how this is implemented and how it shapes up during over time," says Pattajoshi. Over the years, educationists and policy makers have been debating the need for reforms in the education sector; the pandemic has given that much-needed opportunity to bring some about.