Soon, switch from arts to science

Updated on: Saturday, October 31, 2009

Students may soon get to change streams when they go from school to college. The HRD Ministry is keen on a national testing scheme that would allow students to sit for national-level exams in subjects of their choice after Class 12, giving them a second chance to pursue their area of interest.

For instance, if after studying commerce in Classes 11-12 you want to do medicine, you can sit for exams in the science subjects. If you pass, you may get to make the switch.

However, it would be up to the universities to decide how much weightage to give the test score against the Class XII results, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Currently, a humanities student cannot switch to science or commerce in university, though the reverse is possible. 'The idea is to let students choose their subjects in university. In Class XI, a student is too young to know his interests or aptitude,' the official said.

'This should work if implemented properly,' said Thiru K Ganesan, principal secretary (higher education), Tamil Nadu. But Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental felt that too many tests didn't serve any purpose.

Soon, switch from arts to science

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