PUNE: Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad on Sunday said that the no exam route for CBSE Std XII students is being actively examined and a final call will follow in a day or two.
“I have given our initial feedback but have conveyed that we will hold further deliberations with the chief minister and legal experts on both CBSE and our own board exams,” she said adding that she had raised points regarding Std XII CBSE exams in the light of the projection that students would be vulnerable to new strains of the coronavirus.
Admissions to most professional courses are based on entrance exams and many experts have given their views that it was possible to evaluate the performance of Std XII students based on a retroactive assessment model and a uniform assessment policy, Gaikwad told TOI after attending a video-conference of education ministers from all the states with Union minister of education Ramesh Pokhriyal on Sunday.
“Most of the states are of the same opinion and are considering the no exam route. We will examine the legalities before a final call,” she said.
For now, the focus would be on evolving a uniform assessment policy, vaccination of all teachers and eligible students and safe resumption of schools, colleges campuses for the next academic year, she added.
Gaikwad said, “The health and mental well-being of children and their families must be our priority. Students, parents have been sharing their concerns regarding taking exams amid the pandemic. Students have been studying in Std XII for over 14 months. Personally, I believe that we should remove the uncertainty regarding exams and make a decision that is in the students’ interest.”
The Union education ministry has sought feedback from the states on two options it has proposed for conducting the CBSE Std XII exams.
