Freedom from exams for Class X students

NEW DELHI: From the current academic year, tens of thousands of students studying in Class X need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams: Central Board of Secondary Education���s (CBSE) Class 10 examination has been made optional.

Making this announcement here late Monday evening, HRD minister Kapil Sibal told reporters: ���CBSE Class X exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year.���

���I have said this earlier too,��� Mr Sibal said after the 56th meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Education (Cabe) here, attended by education ministers and officials from states.

He added that the examination would give way to a grading system and students would be evaluated throughout the year.

HRD ministry officials believe this move would help relieve the stress on thousands of students and their families.
Officials said all schools, which have Class XI and XII, need not conduct the Class X exams, but schools with classes up to standard X may conduct the board examination. Under the grading system, students would be given grades like A+, A, B, C, D and E.

Mr Sibal said many state governments were happy about the new system, but they need to evolve a consensus in their respective state assemblies to implement it in their secondary education boards. The grading system is for CBSE now and not for the state boards, Mr Sibal said.

Mr Sibal got a thumbs up for his education reforms agenda from the Cabe. In this first meeting with the apex advisory body since his appointment as HRD minister, Mr Sibal put the entire gamut of education reforms for Cabe���s consideration and approval.

Monday���s meeting will put to rest all criticism that had been levelled at Mr Sibal by members of his party and some ministerial colleagues. They had suggested that the HRD minister was acting in haste without taking into consideration views of stakeholders.

CABE comprises state education ministers, Union ministers, heads of regulatory bodies, academics and other eminent persons. In what is a victory for Mr Sibal���s efforts, Cabe endorsed the proposal to establish a Central madarsa board through an appropriate legislation. This proposal has been hanging fire for some time now. It was first mooted by former HRD minister Arjun Singh.

On Monday, CABE came out in support of this move suggesting the need to increase the representation of academics and women instead of being lopsided with a higher concentration of clerics. Cabe member Teesta Setalvad said it has been observed that in areas where the minority has access to good state run schools, parents prefer to send their children to these schools rather than madarsas.

The apex body also endorsed the policy suggested to attract talent to teaching and research. It approved the ministry���s efforts at academic reforms in the university and college sector, especially the need to revise and update curriculum. There was support for the proposal to make assessment and accreditation in higher education mandatory. Some states expressed concerns about the need to preserve the autonomy of the process and not to outsource it to private organisations. It also considered the legislative proposals including a law to prevent, prohibit and punish malpractice.