CBSE class X exam marks in, grades out?

The major complaint against the current system is that the moment a student enters Class XI he or she is burdened with drastic changes in the academic and marking system. While upto Class X a student gets grades and enjoys Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), in Class XI and XII he or she has to again get accustomed to the marks pattern and a final exam.

Teachers and students are mixed in their views about whether changes are now called for. Principal Maya Mohan of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala, Kochi does not want the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation to go as, she says, it helps in the all round development of children and boosts their confidence, especially if they are not good in academics but are talented dancers or musicians.

“They do find it difficult to adapt in Classes XI and XII where there is an altogether different pattern, but it should not be seen as a big problem. The grading system in Class X is good and is less stressful for the students. If they want to bring back the Class X board exam it must be uniform and be implemented correctly,” she stresses.

But while acknowledging that CCE has its advantages, Princiapl T K Latha of SBOA Public School, Ernakulam, says students are not able to cope with a higher load of portions in later classes. “ I have seen students in Class XI struggling with portions. So the ideal solution would be to combine the good features of CCE and the system of Class XII at the Class X level to equip them to deal with a competitive environment while also aiding their overall development,” she suggests.

Principal Deepa Chandran of Sabarigiri Central School , Kollam supports CCE as it is stress-free for both teachers and students. “ Students who secure A1 grade in class X also perform well in their Plus Two,” she points out, dismissing all the talk about the disadvantages.

Students too are divided on CCE. While a Class X student of Campion School, Edappally, Ann Varsha John, says it is stress-free and exposes students to a lot of activities , Gautham Pramod, a Class XII student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, prefers reintroducing the mandatory board exam for Class X. “As we are approaching our final Class XII exam, we are feeling very stressed out and I now wish I had some practice in Class X to gain some experience in writing it,” he says.

But pointing out that the traditional exam pattern lays more stress on memory and CCE boosts practical skills as well, Ann doesn’t think students who don’t write a board exam in Class X will have a problem with competitive examinations as success in them depends both on memory and skill.

Her mother, Sangeetha John, who is also a teacher, however believes there should be uniformity in exams. “ Either there should be CCE throughout or the traditional pattern right up to Class XII,” she says.

But Acquiline Jijo, a student of Class X at Siddhartha Central School, Pallimon, Kollam, makes a valid point when she says that CCE evaluates the students but does not help them in learning directly from teachers.

Countering this argument, a mathematics teacher of Rani Public School, Kozhikode, Sudheesh Mini says, “CCE involves learning by doing and so is the best child- centric education for our schools. Any move to drop it will definitely not be in the interests of the students.”

Malappuram Sahodaya general secretary, Abdul Nazar, too is strongly against any move to make the Class X board exam mandatory, and warns that the outfit will be forced to protest if the government makes it so. “Even now when we welcome students of the CCE system to the higher secondary section, we see how difficult it is for them to face a different exam culture,” he adds.