EXAM JITTERS FOR SSC PUPILS

‘Science too vast for 60 marks’

Yogita Rao | TNN

Mumbai: Students appearing for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams are unhappy that they have to study two papers of science for merely 60 marks and their worry does not end there: they fear that they will not be able to complete the two papers together within the allotted two-and-a-half hours.

In the past two years, students had to answer the two science sections separately and each paper carried 60 marks. This year, they have to answer both science-I and science-II papers together. Though the number of chapters has been reduced, students still feel that they have to study way too much for only 60 marks. “The paper might be simple,but there is so much to write. Also, we need to divide the two-and-a-half hours equally for the two sections,” a student of Canossa High School in Mahim said. “There will be two different answersheets for the two sections and we may lose time shuffling between them. Some questions may demand lengthy answers and that will also consume time.” Another student, Natasha R, also complained that the syllabus was way too vast for a 60-mark paper. “The time provided is ideally enough for a 60-mark paper. But while we can complete the first section in good time, most of us have to rush through the second part,” she added.

Even principal of Children’s Academy in Kandivli Rohan Bhatt is apparently not happy with the merging of the two sections. “Students are finding it difficult to finish the paper in time. When we saw their poor performance in the first semester exams, we asked the board to keep the papers separate. But we were told that it was not possible,” said Bhatt, according to whom, Std-X students are too young to manage time well.

But not all teachers share his views as Nazma Kazi, principal of Anjuman-i-Islam High School, does not think the new system would pose a problem. “This year, students have around 40 marks in internals, including practicals and orals. Students also have to compulsorily clear the written exams with 25%, which will come around to 15 marks. Students usually do not consider science to be a tough paper; the number of failures may also go down now.”