Will CBSE Class 12 board exams be cancelled? Here's what experts say

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had last month cancelled the Class 10 board exams and postponed the Class 12 board exams. While it was decided that the class 10 students will be promoted on the basis of internal assessment, the date for the Class 12 exams is to be announced at a later date.

However, many parents, teachers and students are calling for the cancellation of Class 12 exams and reaching out to the government.

“There has never been a situation like this for most of the people of the world. This is a worldwide pandemic and the situation India is in, cannot be ignored. We can hope for things to improve but by when? No one can truly tell. Given the circumstances, how far into the year do we continue to postpone the exams?” a news agency quoted a retired teacher was quoted as saying.

Another school counsellor in Delhi said that the government should find an alternative assessment plan.

“Many students have lost a family member to the pandemic – they are young 17 or 18-year-olds and already worried about life, tackling grief and uncertainty. With all that is happening, the government must consider cancelling the exams and finding an alternative assessment plan as they have done for Class 10,” the counsellor said.

Notably, following the lines of CBSE, many other state boards also adopted the same policy to safeguard children against the COVID-19 surge.

On the other hand, there are reports that the examinations may be held after July. Considering the current situation of the pandemic across the country, it is being said that the Class 12 board examinations can only be held after July.

It may be noted that there will be a high-level meeting of the government and education department on June 1 to decide on conducting the CBSE Class 12 board exams. At present, the Union Ministry of Education and the agencies related to examinations are engaged in serious brainstorming on this subject.

A large section is demanding to promote the students of class 12 on the basis of internal assessment similar to the Class 10 board examinations. At present, the Ministry is engaged in consulting the experts on this issue. The UGC has also been consulted on this. Along with this, there are also reports that the undergraduate examination of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) can also be postponed.