The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) have cancelled their class 12 board examinations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a high-level meeting yesterday decided to cancel the Class 12 CBSE board exams owing to the Covid-19 pandemic that is ravaging the nation. The meeting was attended by several union ministers including Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister of information and broadcasting Prakash Javadekar, Union railway minister Piyush Goyal, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other bureaucrats of various ministries.
“It has been decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of class XII students as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner,” an official statement said.
Education experts share their views with EducationWorld in regards to the above.
“We at ISBF welcome the government’s decision to cancel the CBSE Class 12 examinations. Given the mental and emotional turmoil the country is going through due to the pandemic, and the physical threat of infection, I certainly believe the wisest choice has been made. The other alternative, which was to conduct delayed examinations, would inevitably have had a detrimental knock-on effect on next year’s learning through a shorter academic year for those continuing in school or going on to college, and it is good from a long term perspective that that has been avoided.” –Dr Jitin Chadha, Founder & Director, Indian School of Business & Finance (ISBF)
“The Narayana Group believes that the safety of the children is of utmost importance and that the decision has been taken in the interest of everyone collectively. We are confident that the Ministry of Education will clearly outline the next course of action keeping the well-being of students and schools in mind. Students can now focus on studying for competitive exams which is sure to play a vital role in undergraduate admissions later this year.” – Dr. Sindhura, MD, The Narayana Group.
“Keeping in mind the surging risk of infection via the detrimental coronavirus, I understand and laud Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s decision to cancel Class 12 board exams. The announcement repressed the uncertainty that would have otherwise affected the youth and also met the trending #cancelboardexams2021 demand of students and industry bodies while ascertaining that the academic calendar will not be affected further. The results will be compiled per well-defined criteria by CBSE and terminate the anxiety of stakeholders. I’m happy that this decision is made in favor of India’s future, ensuring their health is not at stake.” – Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost – HSNC University
“The decision on cancellation of board exams has provided some clarity and assuaged stress levels among students and parents. It wouldn’t have been an easy decision given the criticality of grade 12 exams on university admissions. The govt. didn’t have much choice as health of students is paramount. The challenge now is for CBSE to arrive at alternative criteria to determine grade 12 marks. Any delay or any confusion on the new grading criteria will lead to more confusion and stress among students. Clear directions should also be provided to Indian universities to modify their admissions criteria so meritocracy and fairness is not compromised” – Vishnu Karthik, CEO, The Heritage Schools
“We welcome the government’s decision to cancel 12th class board exams. It is a well-thought decision and it rightly reflects the progressive stance India has about education, at the policy level. Student safety is at the centre of all we’re doing right now and this move will certainly help reduce anxieties among both students and parents. This was the right call to take and we’re happy to adapt our admission cycle as per the new guidelines” – Kunal Vasudeva, COO, Indian School of Hospitality
“We welcome the decision taken by the Government to cancel the CBSE 12th board examinations. The pandemic has imposed severe emotional and financial hardship on the students and their families. Many have suffered the loss of their near and dear ones and their grief is unimaginable. The disruption in the educational activity has been acute, and we cannot expect the students to be in a fit frame of mind to study and be prepared for the examinations. The Government needs to be complemented for having taken a compassionate view of the situation and for focusing on reducing further health risks. We hope that CBSE quickly implements alternative mechanisms to assess the students in a fair manner so that their prospects for higher education are not impeded” – Prof (Dr.) Milind Padalkar – Pro Chancellor (Designate), The NorthCap University.
“While the cancellation of CBSE Class 12 exams addresses the apprehensions of parents regarding the safety and
“The decision of cancellation of CBSE and ICSE Class XII Board Exams taken keeping the student’s safety in consideration is upright and student-friendly. We hope students and their parents can feel at ease with the announcement. The scoring method for the Class 12 exam is awaited. It will be a good idea to give an option to students to appear for Board exam if they are not happy with scoring method, – Vivek Jain, Chief Business Officer, Shiksha.com and NaukriFastForward.
“We are confident that the recent announcement by the Central Government on scrapping of Class 12th board exams for this academic session, will ease the anxiety and confusion amongst the students and parents. Children have been on tenterhooks since the onslaught of the second wave of Covid-19. Looking at the present scenario this is the right and balanced step keeping in mind physical & mental safety of lakhs of students across India. The cancellation will also ensure the timely execution of the next academic year and colleges will be able to begin the admissions as per schedule. The move will also benefit students travelling abroad for higher studies who would need mark sheets for admissions. The timely decision is also beneficial for parent’s else kids would have to be engaged further with extended courses and costs. The year 2021 has been very tough for the students and the educators alike. With confusion and delays on the timeline of the exams, the syllabus, students were stuck in limbo. Now with the official announcement out, the students can devote their time to prepare for the high stakes exams like JEE and NEET which require more rigorous study of concepts as well as for university level courses admission tests.” – Aakash Chaudhry, MD, Aakash Educational Services Ltd.
“The unprecedented decision to cancel the board exam is the last nail in the coffin for a 10+2 system of examination. Focus will be on continuous assessment of a student rather than their performance in a 15 day examination. Students in higher education will be chosen based on aptitude and knowledge rather than rote learning. The importance of test preps will also increase as all higher education institutes will be forced to create their own examination. This disruption is the right opportunity to take a single examination as a method of evaluating and admitting students into these institutes. The effort of the national testing agency to bring a single entrance exam for admissions will also get accelerated. This is a good thing looking at the present pandemic situation as well as will reduce the large amount of stress and anxiety created by the board examination.We think it’s a positive move and will remove the stress and anxiety amongst the students.” – Shashank Shwet, Co-Founder, ImaginXP
“Class XII is a crucial milestone in students’ academic journey, as it forms a nodal point that shapes their career choices and vocational path. In an ideal scenario, the exams would have been conducted, however under the extraordinary circumstances, safety and wellbeing of students supersedes all other considerations. We are in full agreement with Govt.’s timely decision of cancelling Class XII examinations, thereby ending the uncertainty and anxiety prevailing in the minds of the students preparing for the exams. The presence of Hon’ble PM in the meeting, epitomises the importance that he associates with the wellbeing of the youth, who shall be the torch bearers of the country tomorrow. It is important to note that an option has been provided to students who wish to appear for the exams at a later date, when the situation becomes conducive for conduct of exams. Additionally, a well-defined, time bound criterion, will be ensured for assessment. Admission in undergraduate courses, across India and internationally, are dependent on Class XII results, therefore, the sooner these details are announced, better it would be for the students, their parents, and the entire academic community. We wish all Class XII students the very best for their future. In these tough times, it is crucial to remain resilient and optimistic.” – Rajiv Bansal, Director-Operations – Global Indian International School (GIIS), India.