CBSE students march to oppose Class XII economics re-examination

KOLKATA: Carrying placards that said “we want justice” and chanting slogans of “change the system”, a group of students of classes XII, XI and X from various CBSE schools took out a rally on Sunday, to protest against the board’s decision to conduct a retest of the Class XII economics paper on April 25. Clad in t-shirts and jeans, the 40-odd girls and boys marched from Garia Kanungo Park, along Raja Subodh Mullick Square Road and EM Bypass Link Roadtill the floating market at Patuli from 11am till 12.30pm.
“This could have been that time of the year when we would have either been holidaying in the hills with our parents or hanging out with friends. But here we are walking with placards and posters, shouting slogans against an education system that has ruined that happiness,” said Rohan Kabir, a Class XII student of commerce in an English-medium school in south Kolkata.


The group was stopped by police as they didn’t have official permission to hold a rally. But on learning the issue, the cops allowed the teenagers to continue on their march along one side of the road and escorted them safely all the way.

“Why will we suffer for the negligence and misdeeds of few corrupt officials? We don’t want to take a retest,” said another Class XII student.

When the march was planned on Thursday, it was to protest against the retest of both classes X and XII. However, by Friday evening, the HRD ministry scrapped the retest for Class X mathematics examination in Bengal. April 25 was announced as the date of re-examination for Class XII economics paper.

The Facebook page created to organize the event had garnered good response, but with Class X students being relieved of the retest, they lost a chunk of support. However, a lot of students still attended the rally.

“We are not political leaders for whom the number of people in the crowd matters. We are organising this protest march for a cause. If the Class X students could be pardoned from the retest, why will we have to suffer? With the exam scheduled on April 25, how can we get back the focus?” asked Anik Saha, a Class XII student.

Some students of classes XI and X, too, turned up to offer support. “When the protest was planned, our retest had not been scrapped. Now we have been relieved, but our seniors will still have to take the retest. We are here to be by their side and to send a message to CBSE that they cannot play with our future,” said Somujjal Dey, a Class X student.

When the students had gathered at Garia and were applying finishing touches to the banners and posters, some locals and parents of young students also sympathised with them. But not all were supportive. “It is sad to see the fate of these students. However, I don’t think holding a rally will do any good. It is sad, but they should go home and study,” said Asit Karmakar, a Garia resident whose son studies in Class VIII.