Parents’ bodies question CBSE marking system

Ranchi: Even as schools are trying to finalise their Class X results based on the criteria suggested by the Central Board of Secondary Education, parents’ organisations have demanded that flaws in the marking system be addressed first.
The board has stated that internal assessment for 20 marks has already been carried out. It added that remaining 80 marks would be given on basis of performance in periodic tests (10), half-yearly examinations (30) and pre-board examinations (40).
It directed each school to form a seven-member committee headed by the principal to finalise the marks.
The president of Jharkhand Parents Association, Ajay Rai, said, “Many students who could not perform well in school examinations for various reasons would suffer. There has been a number of cases where students have improved their performance sharply during the board examinations.”
He said that marking in internal tests differs from school to school, In comparison, the CBSE marking pattern for the board examinations is uniform across the country.
Reiterating a similar view, the president of Private School Children Welfare Association, Alok Dubey, said, “There is no doubt that the students are more serious while preparing for the board examinations in comparison to the half-yearly examinations and other such tests. Some students may suffer owing to the revised CBSE marking pattern.” But he added that under the prevailing conditions, the decision of the CBSE was a plausible one.
Speaking on the issue, the principal of Jawahar Vidya Mandir (Shyamli), Samarjit Jana, said, “People may raise questions regarding the marking pattern, but I feel the board has taken the best possible decision given the circumstances.”