CBSE and CISCE, along with various State Boards of Education such as Telangana and Gujarat, have already reduced the academic load for the 2021 Class X and XII exams by up to 30%. However, since schools remain closed and classes are held only via online / distance mode, officials from both boards say the study program may need to be cut further. A senior CBSE official said the Board has yet to make a decision, but added: “After the 30% reduction in July, there have been no regular classes and if the situation continues like this, it is likely that the syllabus for Board exams. The Board will respond soon if exams will be conducted on a 70% or 50% syllabus basis.
Gerry Arathoon, Executive Director of CISCE, said: “Given the current scenario, there is the possibility of further reduction of the curriculum. However, it cannot be said at this time to what extent it could be reduced for the 2021 exams.”
“The standards for online classes vary from school to school or from urban to semi-urban to rural areas, so we expect some physical classes to take place before the exams. We will have to wait for that to happen and review the situation., Board exams will most likely need to be moved to April or beyond to accommodate classroom teaching and syllabus completion. Schools are also asking us to postpone dates and reduce syllabus by 50%. ” said the CBSE official. .
“Another challenge would be testing with the Covid-19 protocol and social distancing,” he said. Both national boards are awaiting some direction from the ministry of education before taking a final call.
“We are waiting for some direction, if the academic year will be extended so that the program can be completed. Then the exams will have to be changed, probably to May or even later, ”Arathoon said. Both the CBSE and the CISCE usually take the Board examinations in February-March. In addition to disrupting classes, the pandemic affected this year’s Board exams and those of universities and colleges, as well as competitive tests. In fact, CBSE and CISCE were unable to complete the 2020 Board exams and students received grades based on revised assessment schemes for the remaining assignments.
.
