KOLKATA: From the 2018-2019 academic session, the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations will set final-term questions for 10 “core” subjects in Class IX and 16 in Class XI. Schools will conduct the exams and do the assessment internally.
The subjects for which the ICSE council will hold exams in Class IX are English Language, English Literature, history and civics, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics and commercial studies.
For Class XI, students will get council-moderated papers in English Language, English Literature, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, history, geography, sociology, political science, psychology, commerce, accounts, economics, business studies and computer science.
“The question papers for subjects other than those mentioned in the list will have to be prepared by respective subject teachers in individual schools, as was the practice before,” reads the circular from
CISCE chief executive and secretary
Gerry Arathoon.
In both classes IX and XI, the council has refrained from setting questions for second language subjects.
School principals welcomed the development, saying CISCE’s move will maintain uniformity, discourage cramming and eventually benefit students. “A sufficient number of subjects will be covered by the council in Class IX. However, in Class XI, some disciplines have been left out for they have very few examinees. A similar approach has been taken for Class IX as well. CISCE will set question papers for the popular core subjects. Also, these are the papers in which teachers have a tendency of going beyond the syllabus,” said Sujoy Biswas, the principal of
Rammohan Mission School.
“Due weightage will be given to all chapters and units in the bifurcated syllabus, which will discourage cramming,” said Nabarun De, the principal of Central Modern School, Baranagar.
The CISCE offers as many as 23 second language subjects in Class IX and 18 languages are taught in Class XI. The principal of another school explained: “The council didn’t want to take the trouble of preparing innumerable sets of papers for such a large number of second language subjects. Also, there is no bifurcation in the syllabus for both English and second language disciplines.”
However, since English has always been traditionally given preference by CISCE and is also a compulsory first language subject, due importance needs to be given to it, he added.
For Class IX, CISCE has left out preparing papers for Group 3 subjects, which include as many as 14 disciplines. They include computer applications, economic applications, commercial applications, environmental applications, home science, technical drawing applications and modern foreign languages (Chinese, French, German, and Spanish). “There are a lot of variations and some subjects have as few as 10 examinees in Kolkata,” pointed out a school teacher. Students have to opt for one compulsory subject from Group 3 in Class IX.
In Class XI too, subjects like biotechnology and environmental science have been left out due to the number of examinees.
“The core subject question papers will be given by the council to maintain uniformity and standard, which is the main objective,” said principal of The
Heritage School, Seema Sapru. “It will prepare students better for the board exams,” she added.
All affiliated schools will have to compulsorily use the papers for internal annual assessment. While Hills schools will have to hold their annual examination in November/December, those in the plains will take theirs in February/March. CISCE will prepare two sets of questions, one to be utilized by Hills schools and the second for the rest.
