February 7, 2013, 12:00 am
The CBSE XII board examination is less than three weeks away and anxiety and nervousness is taking over a vast majority of examinees, for whom this would their first attempt at a board examination. Several students had opted for the comprehensive continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) in class X and did not appear for the board exams.
CCE pattern was introduced in 2009 in the CBSE schools.
To select or not to select a sixth subject, for Class XI and Class XII, is the dilemma before the CBSE schools for the next academic year. With the CBSE issuing circular �requesting� schools to choose one or more of the 40 vocational courses, being offered by the Board, for 2013-14 academic year the schools are clueless on how to proceed with it.
Anuradha Mishra, a commerce student said, "We were given a choice whether to take board examinations or CCE while we were in class 10. We had opted for CCE. Between preparing for formative assessments (FA), and summative assessments (SA), we could never concentrate on our studies, as we were busy doing other co-curricular activities between the exams."
However, now that the time has come for her to face the boards, Anuradha is repenting her decision. "Had I chosen to appear in the board examinations in class 10, I would have felt more confident now," she said.
The CBSE schools are already expressing their inability to offer all these courses at one go, leaving students with no choice to pick their favorite subject and pursue a career. Even finding a faculty for some of the courses will be a tough task, let alone creating the infrastructure for classes, including labs for practical.
Some parents are worried that their children haven�t received admit cards yet. �Questions like, �How much should my child sleep�, �My child is having mood swings�, �He/she is eating less food�, �Should we make a diet chart for them�, �What vegetables should we give them�,�Is it worth staying awake late night for studying�, and �How much gap children need in between studying hours� are some of the regular queries we get,� one of the CBSE tele-counsellors said.
However, the teachers had a different take when they were asked if it’s the CCE or board exams that they think is more beneficial for the students.
"We conduct two pre-board exams before the main examinations which help students to prepare better for board examinations. Teachers also counsell the students and the students can seek their help to address their queries," said principal SICA, Madhukar Pawar. He further added that around 50-60% of the board exam papers will comprise of the questions prepared during the pre-board exams.
Vice-principal, Advanced Academy, Yogesh Jain opined, "The choice is always by the student- whether one wants to opt for the CCE in X or the board pattern. But the purpose of implementing the CCE system was only to lessen the burden of the students." According to Jain there has been a significant drop in the number of suicide cases after the results are out, as very few students are detained in X. "I personally think the choice only helps to decide better," he added.
