Class X exam optional

Updated on: Monday, August 24, 2009

New Delhi: The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are working together to make the Class X Board Examination optional and shift to the grade system within 100 days of the new government coming into force.

'The idea of making the Class X exam optional and introducing the grade system has been floating around since 2005 and there is immense support for it. Since state boards are not under central government, we want CBSE to follow it first from the next year,' a CBSE official said.

CBSE is going to hand over the blueprint to the Ministry in the coming days.HRD ministry has received a huge response from three workshops held in Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Chandigarh. 'Everybody thinks that Class X examination should go,' a source said.

The issue will also be discussed in the annual meeting of CBSE today.The Board speculates making Class 10 Board Exam optional in schools that have classes till XII. However, those schools which have classes till X, students will have to take board examination.

'As for the grading system, the ministry opines there is too much emphasis on scoring high percentage in exams. As per the proposed system, though students will be evaluated through marks, the result will be in grade system. The students getting 90% and 92% should be in the same grade because there is hardly any difference between them,' an official said.

School needed to have strong internal mechanism as efficient as board examination, he added.

CBSE will be the first to take the initiative. The Ministry is likely to request state boards for a core curriculum in science and mathematics in Class XI and XII, keeping in mind all-India entrance test for the admission to engineering and medical colleges.

Class X exam optional

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