Over 65% students opt out of CBSE boards

Manash Pratim Gohain TNN

New Delhi: Over five lakh Class X students from senior secondary schools have decided to opt out of Class X board exams to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in March 2011. This is the first batch for which the Class X board exam has been made optional and these students will now sit for the school-based term-end Summative II exam in April 2011 under the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE).

The total number of Class X students in senior secondary schools across India affiliated to CBSE is 8,23,125, of which 2,73,538 are taking the Class X board exams. Another 1.75 lakh Class X students from secondary schools (schools with classes up to 10th) are going to join the 2.7 lakh students, who have already opted for the board exam. Though three more days are left for the last date of registration, CBSE officials say the final figures may vary by a couple of thousand students, who might change their option.

CBSE chairperson Vineet Joshi said, ‘‘CCE has turned out to be a success story. Though December 15 is supposed to be the last day when the final figures will emerge, there will hardly be any change.’’ According to Joshi, though 9,02,747 students registered for the Class X board exams in 2010, the number has gone beyond 10 lakh now. ‘‘These numbers are for senior secondary schools only and over 65% of the students have opted for internal exams,’’ said Joshi.

Asked if schools are imposing their choice on students, Joshi said the final choice rests with the students. He also said there are many cases in which a few students have opted for Class X examination rather than CCE. With a staggering 2.73 lakh senior secondary students still opting for the Class X board exams, questions arise if students and parents are still edgy about the school-based internal exercise. Responding to this, Joshi said, ‘‘This is the first time and naturally there will be some doubts in the minds of parents and students. But gradually the importance of CCE will be understood.’’

My first love is HRD ministry, says Sibal New Delhi: Union minister Kapil Sibal, who has been given additional charge of the high-profile telecom ministry, on Monday said his ‘first love’ is human resource development portfolio, whose handling had earned him praise from the Prime Minister. You were talking about the other ministries I am involved in, but I can tell you that this (the HRD ministry) is my first love and my last love,” Sibal said. He felt the HRD Ministry is dear to him because “there is nothing more important than building India’s future” and lamented that the political establishment was yet to recognize the importance of the teaching community for the country. The human resources is the ultimate foundation of all economy and growth, he said. Observing that the coming decade would throw up more challenges for the teaching profession, he said teachers have to “reinvigorate” and empower themselves as they carry on this grand enterprise. AGENCIES