How fair is the CBSEs new formula for board results?
After taking a short break, Vishakha (name changed) has gone back to her books. A student in Class 12, studying at a CBSE school in Pune, she is preparing for the in-person examinations that the CBSE announced would be held between August 15 and September 15. These are for students who are not satisfied with the marks allotted to them using the 30-30-40 formula that the board has arrived upon in place of the exams cancelled due to the pandemic. She says she is unsure of whether the marks of the internal examinations conducted at her school will be fair and unbiased. It shouldnt happen that some students get better marks because theyve taken tuitions from our schoolteachers, or because of any other biases, she says. Her friends, who were to appear for the Maharashtra state board HSC examination, are also concerned about the marking system being used by the CBSE in place of conducting the board exams. This is a worry echoed by several students and parents across the country, prompting groups of parents to file petitions against the cancellation of exams in the court. This issue is not restricted only to the CBSE; with state boards also cancelling exams, students say they are worried about the marking system being inconsistent, and the impact that could have on their admissions to colleges where entrance tests are not being conducted. ALSO READ | Why class 12 students are unhappy with the CBSEs 30-30-40 formula  An affidavit filed by the government in court says that CBSE schools will have ensure that the results are standardised. However, a teacher who did not wish to be named says this concept exists only on paper, and that since various schools set papers differently, this will impact the final marks. Some schools such as ours set tough pre-board papers so that students are pushed to study harder. There are others that set easier papers. This decision is a prerogative of every school, she says. To avoid this problem, some colleges say they will rely only on the scores students get on their entrance tests. The assessment criteria passed by the Supreme Court have created distress. Instead of the board exam scores, the school will offer provisional admissions based solely on our entrance test scores, keeping in mind the eligibility of various statutory bodies, says Dr Meena Chintamaneni, registrar of SVKMs NMIMS (deemed to be university), which offers courses in different streams ranging from engineering to commerce. But not all colleges can conduct their own entrance exams. Many have to follow the norms set by their respective universities. In such a scenario, students fear that there will be injustice in admissions. Dr Akhil Shahani, managing director of the Shahani Groupwhich runs some of Mumbais leading colleges, including HR, KC, RD National College and Thadomal Shahani Engineering Collegesays, College admissions before Covid were based on the marks students got in standardised exams. With each board coming up with their own formula for Class 12 marks, it will be difficult for colleges to use a single merit list for admissions as there is no basis for comparison. This will unfortunately cause confusion and unfairness as each college may use their own model for admissions which could allow less meritorious students getting into courses with the more meritorious being left behind.  A few schools claim that they have already started getting requests from influential people to increase the marks of certain students. Parents also fear that the children of those who are well connected will end up with better marks. But with boards unable to hold exams in time for the new academic year admissions, the only alternative that students of a few boards like the CBSE have is to appear for the optional examinations to be held in August. Read India Today magazine by downloading the latest issue: https://www.indiatoday.com/emag