Bhubaneswar: When the whole world is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, the worst hit are the kids and the education sector as a whole. Though online classes and virtual lectures kept the ball rolling, recent pass-outs and graduates are uncertain about the future.
A recent development that took students from across the country to their toes was the decision to cancel the 12th board examinations. The decision to cancel the Class 12th CBSE board exams was taken after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi said that the decision on the Class 12 CBSE board exams has been taken in the interest of students due to the uncertain situation caused by the pandemic.
Amidst the ongoing pandemic, the respective schools and teachers did an outstanding job by teaching students diligently with help of the online education platform. Both students and teachers underwent a lot of effort to complete the courses and revise the subjects thoroughly but the increasing Covid-19 cases forced the Education Ministry to take a tough step like this which would affect everyone in a very negative manner.
Moving on to the students side, there seems mixed reviews from students across the country and this very decision has created a sort of chaos between many.
Here we are up with some students and teachers who talk about the exam cancellations and their effects.
- Feeling average, as life mattered more than marks. And it was a high time. All those mental pressure had to come to an end as no one wanted it atleast as per current situation. It will now be a difficult task to get into colleges but it’s alright. So, it’s kind of a mixed feeling.
–Shubham Sanskar, Mother’s Public School - Being a student of Class 12, I personally respect the decision of the Prime Minister to terminate the examinations, bringing an end to the mental drudgery which we all were facing. Now again the important question arises regarding the assessment which I feel needs to be done intuitively. Like completely taking boards results for the admission of Government Universities might not be a good idea since it will be unjust for many students owing to the inflationary cut offs in top colleges in our country. So a parity can be kept in admissions of government colleges by ensuring the overall holistic development of the child, assessing his logical skills , his viewpoints about the challenges brought by Covid 19 pandemic and now how we have to adapt to the new normal. Private Colleges have a good admission system so it wouldn’t be an issue as they have their entrance tests, interviews, and then along with board examinations. Personally, I am elated to see the cancellation of the examinations but the conscience seems to be in a throttling situation owing to the assessment of our board grades.
– Anish Pani, Sai International School
3.It is hard to spend your last year of school at home, and miss out on all the fun and interactive opportunities. Studying at home has not been easy, and the uncertain application year has been a bumpy ride. Now, the endless wait for the board exams is over. I personally was very happy at the beginning when I heard the news of cancellation then after when realised my life as a school boy is over, I got a little over whelmed.
– Priyansu Kumar Behera, DAV Pokhariput
4.I appreciate the decision by the Govt. for us. But while I think it from our career perspective, it gets bit complicated. But truly the decision is perfect but it’s about on what basis the results are going to be declared. Because there are some students like me who don’t actually study for the whole year rather we just do it for FINALS or BOARDS. So if judging on 11th results and internals, then it might be a threat for me to get into best University or jobs. So, I think judging 2021’s batch on board marks won’t be right. I think we need and infact deserve some considerations for that. But repeating, the way exams got cancelled with valid reasons, the after result scenes are also hoped be well handled.
– Madhusmita Mohanty, DAV Pokhariput
Now, we too have asked a few educators regarding their views which goes like this:
1.Well then I can’t have one sided opinion. Considering the risks that students had to undergo through in case board took place, it is a good decision. But then online classes have been really challenging for the students and despite of that they had put a lot of efforts to appear the exams. As board is one of the early milestone exams of a student’s career and a lot depends on the marks he/she secures, I will need to know how far the results will be compensatory to that.
– Farhat Kayenat, PGT Economics, DAV Pokhariput
2.Being an educator and CBSE student myself, I personally feel that the decision of cancelling the examination is the need of the hour because our health is more important than our career. We may have alternative criteria to evaluate the 12th board papers but we don’t have any plan B for our lives. At the end what matters is just good health and safe self. Many may think this would affect their future during the job seeking phase but it’s not just about them personally rather about all the students who were supposed to give the examination. This one tough step would help us save our students from being super spreaders and carirers of the virus as well. We need to be calm and keep faith on the Education Ministry for their decision and wait for the further updates. 
– Ram Krupa Mishra, Educator, Shri Ram Commerce Institute
With such mixed reviews from both students and teachers we come to the conclusion that, here the priority is given to the health of the students rather than their career. We also need to wait for the further proceedings of the CBSE so as to get a clear assurance of the ongoing situation.
A report by Mimansa Mohanty
