Board papers for school test

MITA MUKHERJEE, TT, Calcutta: The annual examinations for classes IX and XI in ICSE schools will henceforth have common question papers like in a board test, but evaluation will be done internally.

" The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations ( CISCE) has decided to prepare question papers in core subjects for classes IX and XI from the year 2018- 19 onwards. This will be utilised by all its affiliated schools internally, in the annual examinations, " states a circular issued on Thursday.

The council said it decided to " take this momentous step " to maintain uniformity in all its affiliated schools across India and abroad in terms of the syllabus that needs to be completed in classes IX and XI. The idea is to " ensure a proportionate portion of the syllabus is duly covered in each of the two and there is no overburdening of the students at any one particular level " . Since weightage will be given to all chapters and units in the bifurcated syllabus, it will discourage " cramming " , according to the circular sent to the heads of all ICSE schools.

Metro had reported on the council ' s plan to set question papers for classes IX and XI to ensure that schools teach only the syllabus prescribed for that particular class. Although the 2,100- plus ICSE and ISC schools in the country will receive common question papers, evaluation of answer scripts will still be done internally.

Individual schools will be also required to publish their results, said the principal of an ICSE school.

The only caveat is that once the annual examinations are over, schools will have to complete the evaluation and publish the results within a timeframe fixed by the council.

" We welcome the move.

Many schools do not follow the continuity of the council- prescribed syllabus. For example, there are plenty of schools who teach portions of the Class IX syllabus in Class VIII without covering the entire syllabus prescribed for Class VIII. This is detrimental to the students. This practice will be arrested once the council starts setting the questions, " said Nabarun De, principal of Central Modern School and secretary of the Association of Heads of ICSE Schools.

As for Class XI, there have been complaints about many schools teaching topics that students are supposed to study in Class XII. The CISCE circular states that the shift to common question papers will " standardise the level of teaching and learning " and " ensure comprehensive learning at each level " . Another objective is to " synchronise the syllabus with the examination system and familiarise the students with the pattern and format of the question papers of the board examinations " .