Board scores over Neet, JEE: Schools lobby for students
Some schools have demanded that Class XII board exams scores must be given weightage for admissions to medical and engineering instutes as students are taking on more stress by preparing for competitive exams like Neet (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Representative imageCHENNAI: Some schools have demanded that Class XII board exams scores must be given weightage for admissions to medical and engineering instutes as students are taking on more stress by preparing for competitive exams like Neet (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Though the lockdown is set to end on May 3, it is unclear whether students would get classroom or contact coaching before Neet and JEE due to social distancing norms and other concerns. Unlike previous years, a majority of students would appear for competitive exams purely on self-preparation. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has postponed Neet and JEE and the tests are likely to be conducted after the CBSE Class XII exams are completed.
“The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown has mentally affected students who are preparing for competitive exams like Neet and JEE. Students are not able to focus because of the house arrest-like situation,” said N Vijayan, senior principal of Zion and Alwin group of schools in Chennai. “The NTA should reduce the syllabus for Neet 2020 considering the stress on students. The government should consider giving weightage for board exam scores in medical admissions by taking biology, physics and chemistry marks into account at least for this year.”
G J Manohar, headmaster of MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet, also spoke in favour of the idea. “Students are not able to go out and schools are not able to coach them. Conducting exams like Neet or JEE would be a big challenge post lockdown. Admissions can be based on board exam results this year alone,” he said, adding that taking board exams marks into consideration would level the playing field for government and private school students.
A headmaster from a government school in the city said many students may not have focused on board exams since medical admissions are based on Neet marks. “Giving weightage for board exams is a good move. For this year, NTA could delay conducting Neet so that students would get time to attend crash courses,” he said.
But, P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidhyashram, thought differently. “Covid-19 lockdown has affected only the last minute preparation of students. They have been preparing for the exam throughout the year. This year, the entrance exams would be delayed by a month or two,” he said, adding that many schools have been demanding weightage for board exam marks in medical admission even before the crisis.
Though the lockdown is set to end on May 3, it is unclear whether students would get classroom or contact coaching before Neet and JEE due to social distancing norms and other concerns. Unlike previous years, a majority of students would appear for competitive exams purely on self-preparation. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has postponed Neet and JEE and the tests are likely to be conducted after the CBSE Class XII exams are completed.
“The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown has mentally affected students who are preparing for competitive exams like Neet and JEE. Students are not able to focus because of the house arrest-like situation,” said N Vijayan, senior principal of Zion and Alwin group of schools in Chennai. “The NTA should reduce the syllabus for Neet 2020 considering the stress on students. The government should consider giving weightage for board exam scores in medical admissions by taking biology, physics and chemistry marks into account at least for this year.”
G J Manohar, headmaster of MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet, also spoke in favour of the idea. “Students are not able to go out and schools are not able to coach them. Conducting exams like Neet or JEE would be a big challenge post lockdown. Admissions can be based on board exam results this year alone,” he said, adding that taking board exams marks into consideration would level the playing field for government and private school students.
A headmaster from a government school in the city said many students may not have focused on board exams since medical admissions are based on Neet marks. “Giving weightage for board exams is a good move. For this year, NTA could delay conducting Neet so that students would get time to attend crash courses,” he said.
But, P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidhyashram, thought differently. “Covid-19 lockdown has affected only the last minute preparation of students. They have been preparing for the exam throughout the year. This year, the entrance exams would be delayed by a month or two,” he said, adding that many schools have been demanding weightage for board exam marks in medical admission even before the crisis.
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