|
|
|
|
|
|
Latest News |
| 04th
July 2010 / Times of India / Ahmedabad Edition |
|
Board drops merit list for HSC & SSC in Guj
NO MERIT, NO PRESSURE?
Semester System Introduced For Classes XI-XII
Gandhinagar: In major decisions, the Gujarat Secondary
and Higher Secondary Education Board announced on Saturday
that there would be no merit list declared for top ten
rankers in SSC and HSC exams from the current academic
year onwards. Like CBSE, grades would be given to SSC
students.
Significantly, the board decided to introduce semester
system for higher secondary certificate (science) from
2011-2012 where instead of class XII boards, four exams
will be held over classes XI-XII and their average scores
would be the final result. In class X, the board will
conduct exams only for five main subjects out of seven
— the two optional subjects’ exams will be
conducted by the schools.
State education minister Ramanlal Vora said on Saturday
that the board had sent these decisions for approval of
the state education department. “We have cleared
these decisions as they promise to reduce stress levels
and pressure associated with board exams. This will also
ensure less dropout from schools after SSC.” Principal
secretary (education) Hasmukh Adhia said in the next HSC
results, “percentiles would be declared where the
students will be able to know their general standing in
the results”.
In SSC, students will be given grades from A1 to E2 and
those who are ranked below D grade (33-40 per cent), will
not be eligible for admission to class XI. “Students
with E1 and E2 grades will have to take the exam again,”
officials said.
In the semester system for classes XI and XII, a new syllabus
will be worked out and one exam will be conducted every
six months over a period of two years. Each exam will
carry a weightage of 25%. “The HSC (science) result
will carry equal weightage of four semesters. This system
will allow them to be better equipped for competitive
exams as well,” said Vora.
Meanwhile, experts have expressed concern that this might
mean more pressure where students will be under stress
for two years instead of one to score good marks in HSC
(science).
Semester system likely for general stream too
Ahmedabad: The government might introduce semester system
even for the general stream if it passes the stress test
for the HSC science stream, as was announced on Saturday.
Even as psychiatrists feared the new system might protract
the stress, principal secretary (education) Hasmukh Adhia
said, “The semester exam system for class XI and
XII will be evaluated by optical mark reader (OMR) in
the first and third semesters. While in the second and
fourth semesters, exams will be conducted in the traditional
manner. If successful, this system will be replicated
in general streams as well.”
The decision has been taken with the aim of dividing the
stress of annual examination into four tests spread across
the year and also provide the students with more opportunities
for good performance.
However psychiatrist Hansal Bhachech said “Apart
from the four tests, students will be burdened with Gujarat
Common Entrance Test, amounting to five tests in two years,
instead of one annual test in two years by the board.
Psychologically, exam fear is not exactly related to exam,
but rooted in its preparation. It is, in fact, ‘preparation
fear’.”
Meanwhile, in another major decision, the Gujarat Secondary
and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has decided
that all those teachers and board officials whose children
are taking the board exams will now have to report for
exam and assessment duties.
So far, for the sake of fairness, they were kept off evaluation
jobs during the board exams.
State board to conduct exams only for 5 subjects
Ahmedabad: Gujarat secondary and higher secondary education
board (GSHSEB) unanimously decided on Saturday to conduct
examinations in just five subjects — Mathematics,
Social Science, Gujarati, Science and English. There are
seven subjects for class 10, and the board has left two
to be monitored by the school administration.
The board, however, clarified that the question papers
of the two optional subjects would be prepared by the
board, while invigilation of the exam would be responsibility
of the school authorities.
The move comes after 12 years of Mankad committee report,
where the committee headed by former chief secretary Sudhir
Mankad had recommended the same in order to lessen government
burden. Apart from this, the committee had also recommended
that the ‘A’ stream should be earmarked for
students who would want to take up diploma courses while
the ‘B’ stream should be reserved for students
opting for class 11.
GSHSEB member Bhaskar Patel confirmed that the Mankad
committee had suggested these measures for smooth functioning
and to lessen the burden on the state exchequer.
|
|
|
|
