'Recent trend of 95% plus score in boards leads to rat race and puts a lot of pressure on students'
Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School, New Delhi spoke to Shiksha and discussed about the changed CBSE exam pattern as class 12 students are worried that the changed pattern and the recent trend of board results where a good number of students are scoring over 95%, thus pushing cut-off of universities like DU and how schools are dealing with students affected by COVID-19.
Q. How is the changed CBSE exam pattern different from the previous one? What is your opinion about it?
A. The major change in the CBSE exam pattern is that it has been divided into two terms based on the syllabus. Term 1 will be objective whereas term 2 will be both objective and subjective. This is the major difference from the previous pattern where only exams was conducted, covering the entire syllabus. I think it’s the best possible solution in the present scenario because the students have been out of practice when it comes to writing subjective answers as they haven’t been attending schools physically since the last year. Also, this year the project work/practical exams are being assessed twice having equal weightage in both the Terms.
Q. Some of the class 12 students are worried that the changed pattern would adversely impact their results. How do you see it?
A. According to the exam pattern that was being followed until last year, the performance of the students was assessed only once a year and the exam covered the entire syllabus. However, the way in which this year’s exam pattern has been drafted requires students to perform well in both the terms. It is understandable why this change would have created a bit of stress in the minds of all stakeholders, primarily students.
The reason behind this is that the exam pattern that we’ve followed so far only required the students to give their best in the Annual Board exam and which the students are mentally prepared for. Given that the pattern has changed significantly now, some students might find it difficult to cope up with the new scenario.
Though the tentative weightage allotted to both terms has already been disclosed by the board, the final decision in this regard will be taken after reviewing the COVID-19 situation. This lack of clarity could be disconcerting for the students, but given the situation that we’re currently in, what we have is what we’ve got to work with.
Q. There has been a trend in the past few years where a good number of students are scoring over 95%, this results in the cut-off of universities like DU going up. How do you look at it?
A. I think it leads to a rat race and puts a lot of pressure on students, which is not good for them. In hindsight, the system of evaluation that we had prior to NEP 2020 was probably not the best and the implementation of NEP 2020 will certainly change things for the better as it will give a more well-rounded picture of a students’ knowledge regarding the subjects.
Q. Covid-19 has affected children mentally as well as physically. How is your school dealing with this?
A. Ever since the pandemic struck us, we switched to online mode and helped our students at every step through the transition. We started a 24X7 mental health hotline under the name ‘Muskurahat’ to give students a platform where they can call anonymously and seek professional help for the mental or emotional issues that they might be facing.
Throughout the lockdown period, we’ve conducted various activities to help students feel like they belong to a community and keep them active and engaged. It has helped us keep our morale high despite the adversity that we’ve all been through. Even now, as the exams get closer, the teachers are available 24X7 for the students so that they can get their doubts and queries resolved at the earliest in order to perform well in the exams.
Q. The NEP 2020 suggests sweeping changes in the school education sector, what would be your take on this?
A. I think it’s a great policy and it is exactly the reboot that the Indian education system is in need of. The policy takes a step away from bookish learning and takes a more practical approach that will result in the holistic development of our students. Whether we’re talking about modular assessment or academic credit bank, they’re all great revolutionary changes that the policy has brought into our current education system.
Q. Have online classes affected the attention level of children, what schools should do and what would be your suggestion for parents?
A. Online classes are definitely a notch below physical classes in terms of student-teacher interaction. It is much easier to monitor the students when they’re right in front of your eyes rather than when they’re miles away in front of a screen. Moreover, physical classes allow teachers to dictate the atmosphere, whereas, in online classes, the students may have distractions at home which the teacher cannot eliminate fully. This is where the parents can help though. They can make sure that while their child is studying there shouldn’t be any unnecessary distractions that may divert his/her attention from what is being taught.
The schools can arrange extra classes to help the students who might be struggling with their syllabus. For instance, we are providing 24X7 teacher support to the students at the moment as the exams are near and the students need that extra bit of help.
Q. There are discussions to allow younger children to school, while they are yet to be vaccinated. Do you agree that they should be allowed?
A. Yes, I think they should be allowed to come to schools while strictly adhering to the Covid-19 protocols laid down by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The formative years are the most important years in a student’s life, and if we prevent them from coming to school, their studies will suffer. The longer this goes on, the harder it will become to fill that gap. Therefore, it is very important for younger students to come to school.
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Abhay Anand is an experienced education journalist with over 15 years in print and digital media. Currently serving as Manager- Editorial at Shiksha.com, he specializes in higher education policy, student mobility,
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