Class X Board Exams will not become optional in Bihar

Bihar has said no to the Union HRD ministry about doing away with the class X exams. It will also not wind up its Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) as scrapping of the state board would go against the federal structure of the country.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to do away with the class X examination for various reasons, including de-stressing students.

“For the children of poor parents in Bihar, class X exams are important. It gives them a sense of pride and students seek jobs at various levels,” BSEB chairman AKP Yadav said, adding: “Besides, the high expectations of parents from their children, not the class X exams, are responsible for the suicides of students. Parents are putting them in various kinds of stress.”

As a matter of fact, Yadav’s assertion was not the isolated case at the two-day meet of the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE) held in Delhi, beginning August 24.

“There was consensus and unanimity among the state school boards on several issues, including holding of class X exams and continuation of state boards,” Yadav said. “CBSE can issue guidelines, establish link among boards, make policies, discuss and frame common syllabus and set standards,” he pointed out.

Further, state boards, barring that of Haryana and Kerala, were unanimous in rejecting the grade system and clearly stated that the word fail should not be mentioned on the result sheet as that puts further stress on students, Yadav argued, adding that the introduction of the grading system would create problems for students and host institutions going for admisison to pursue higher studies.

“Grading will not be of any help if the number of admission seekers increases. The host institution will have to adopt some kind of selection process,” Yadav said, adding: “It was decided to have a unanimity of opinion even in the university system on the usefulness of grades.”

He said there was consensus regarding adoption of science and mathematics syllabus of CBSE, but BSEB has already adopted them. It was agreed that the state boards could decide their own syllabus in social sciences and literature, Yadav added.

BSEB, meanwhile, has decided to abolish the system of supplementary exams from next year for students who fail in matriculation. Instead, the compartmental system of CBSE would be in force. “The matter is awaiting the stamp of the CM,” Yadav said. As many as 53,000 students will take the supplementary exams this year. link