I wish I had appeared my class 10 under the ICSE board: Students decide to ditch CBSE 

Maths exam mix-up was probably the deal breaker after which students and parents across the country want to try other boards, including state boards
Last year the CBSE decided to scrap the policy of moderation earnings the ire of students and parents | PTI
Last year the CBSE decided to scrap the policy of moderation earnings the ire of students and parents | PTI

CBSE students of class 10 and 12 who gave their board exams this year have spent some sleepless nights in the past few weeks. From paper leaks to announcements of re-exams, it has been one roller coaster ride. 

The board is, however, no stranger to controversies. Back in 2016 for example, the class 10 mathematics paper set off a big hue and cry as it was too lengthy and difficult. There were even reports of students throughout the country literally being reduced to tears while writing the paper. A number of other controversies have bogged the board before that. 

Many CBSE students and parents of students in Bengaluru claim that they have had enough of the central board and are keen on moving on to other boards for this reason.  
 
Rhea Ravindranathan, is a CBSE student of Geetanjali Vidyalaya, Kaggadasapura who gave the class 10 boards. When asked if she wants to shift to another board as a result of constant controversies in the CBSE, for her further studies, she says, "Hell yes (sic)," while adding, "I am presently looking for a good PU college for myself and am very confident that I will not be under the CBSE in my class 11 and 12. Even my parents have asked me to shift to another board," she says.

Every year, hundreds of class 10 CBSE students shift to the PU board in the state due to what they claim is an easier syllabus and final exam, however, the recent controversies in the central board, seems to have given a further impetus to make this move. 

Rhea further adds, "I wish I had appeared my class 10 under the ICSE board. No doubt there is lots to study but at least one is certain about the kind of questions that would come and there are also not many application based questions. I've also not heard of the ICSE court a lot of controversies," she adds. 

A year of fear

Another student who just gave her CBSE class 10 board exam, Kashish Chhabra is from Indian Public School in Vignana Nagar. She will also shift to another board for the class 11 and 12. "Every controversy in the CBSE affects the mental state of the students like myself. In 2016-2017, I was still in class 9 and this was then when the whole issue about the Maths paper being very tough became big. I remember being really worried since my batch would be the next in line for the boards," says Kashish. She is already keeping three to four PU colleges as options.  

Rasmita Jean, a lawyer whose daughter will be starting her class 9 under the CBSE soon, says with the constant controversy, she has "lost all hope" in the CBSE and feels extremely "frustrated" as a parent. "Since my daughter is in class 9, I sadly cannot shift her out to another board even though I want to. However, post her class 10 exams, I will seriously consider putting her in ISC board or the PU board," she says. She adds that while children prepare for exams the entire year, the least that authorities can do is conduct an issue free exam. 

M A Khan, principal of RR English School, Varthur, a state board school says while around 15 to 20 percent of parents who moved students to his school site the constant controversy and indecisiveness, many others are pressured by their ward's school to shift in case they cannot cope up with the pressure of CBSE. "It is a fact that the state board is easier than the CBSE. With the Union Minister Prakash Javadekar recently saying that the NCERT syllabus will be reduced by half. Students might stay on in CBSE. This, however, is yet another change in the," he adds.    

That's not it

Last year the CBSE decided to scrap the policy of moderation earnings the ire of students and parents. For a long time, moderation or the practice of awarding grace marks was followed while marking papers to compensate for errors or difficult questions. CBSE students felt that this would give undue advantage to other boards who would go on giving more grace marks.

In 2015, students once again complained of a very hard physics and mathematics paper asking the board to review the two papers. This was also a time when the board did not have a director for quite some time. 

The board introduced the system of continuous comprehensive assessments or CCE in 2010 and made class 10 exams also optional in an effort to make studies less burdensome. However, there were a lot of issues implementing the CCE. Finally, this year saw the first batch after a gap of eight years to revert back to the old system with some changes. The CCE has given way to a new 'uniform system of assessment.'  

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