Few takers for CBSE's skip-exam option

CUTTACK: In an initiative to reduce the stress on students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had come up with the idea of optional Class X board exams from this year. According to the plan, CBSE had given the option to the students not to appear for the annual exam, if they wished to continue their study with the same board.

But the option has received a lukewarm response in Cuttack. Majority of students have preferred to appear for the board exams instead of giving it a miss.

Around 443 students of DAV public school, CDA will appear for the Class X exam while only three students have opted to skip the board exams. Similarly among 149 students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, 99 students have decided to write the board exams while 50 of them have chosen not to appear in the board exams. Similar was the response in Modern Public School and SCB Medical Public School, where majority of the students have preferred to write the board exam.

And for this reasons are many.While many parents don't want to risk the future of their wards, some think that the board exams help in disciplining their children. "I simply don't agree with the idea of skipping the board exams. Class X board exams are very important in any student's life and it helps them in preparing for the various competitive exams. If a child wants to opt for any other board then the CBSE board exams are relevant," said Pramod Mohapatra, father of a Class X student.

On their part, students feel that the new pattern has reduced much of the stress the stress among students is much reduced. " s per the new pattern, students have to study only 40 per cent of the syllabus for the board exam. Adding to it, gradation system is also introduced, so the board exams are no more a stress now. There is absolutely no need to skip the exam,"said Soumya Mallick, a Class X student.

An internal exam will be conducted by the schools for those students who have decided not to appear for the Class X board exam, which commences from March 1.

And the school authorities feel the figures of students skipping the board exam will rise from next year onwards."The parents and students are quite reluctant to skip the board exam as this is the first year . But we are hopeful that from next year more and more students will prefer for the school conducted exams,"said L N Pradhan, principal of DAV Public School, CDA.