Appearing for Class 10 and 12 Board Exams Twice a Year not Mandatory: Education Minister Announces

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Appearing for class 10 and 12 board exams twice a year will not be mandatory for students and the option is being introduced to reduce stress caused by the fear of single opportunity, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said.

Appearing for Class 10 and 12 Board Exams Twice a Year not Mandatory: Education Minister Announces

New Delhi: The Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has announced that appearing for Class 10 and 12 board exams twice a year will not be mandatory. This option has been made to reduce stress caused by the fear of a single opportunity.

He said that the ‘ dummy school’ issue cannot be ignored and its is time to have a serious discussion about it. He added “The students will have the option of appearing for the (class 10 and 12 board) exams twice a year just like the engineering entrance exam JEE. They can choose the best score… but it will be completely optional, no compulsion.”

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“The students often get stressed thinking they lost a year, their chance is gone or could have performed better… the option is being introduced to reduce the stress caused by the fear of single opportunity,”

“If any student feels that he is completely prepared and is satisfied with the score in the first set of exams, he can choose not to appear for the next exams. Nothing will be mandatory,” he added.

As Per the new curriculum announced by the Ministry of Education, the board examination will be conducted twice a year, so aspirants have enough time and opportunity to perform well and secure the best score.

“I met students after the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) was announced. They have appreciated this and are happy with the idea. We are trying that the exams are conducted twice a year from 2024 itself,” he said.

The minister said about the record of student suicides in Rajasthan’s Kota this year, “It is a very sensitive issue. No lives should be lost… they are our children. It is our collective responsibility to ensure the students are stress-free.”

More than two lakh aspirants moved to Kota to prepare for competitive exams like JEE Main, NEET, etc. As per the official record, 23 students committed suicide this year and this highest ever in the country coaching hub as last year, the figure was 15. “The issue cannot be ignored. Although the number of such students is not very high as compared to the total number of students… the time has come to have serious discussions and deliberations on the subject,” he said.

The minister added that the center is working towards ensuring that students do not need coaching. Several JEE and NEET aspirants enrol themselves in school in their home state and move to Kota. By passing full-time schools, they directly participate in board exams.

Numerous experts have raised concerns about 'dummy schools,' asserting that avoiding regular school attendance impedes students' personal development, leading to feelings of isolation and stress. Regarding the three-year hiatus in meetings of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), Pradhan explained, "CABE is undergoing reconstitution." He emphasized the need for remodeling CABE to align with the evolving demands of the education system, especially in the context of the new National Education Policy and its paradigm shift.

“At the end of the day, CABE will review what is being introduced now, be it new curriculum, new credit framework, accreditation, or any other reform,” he said.

“We are going to make a paradigm shift. So, we will go ahead after exploring all possibilities and clearing all doubts. The guidelines are under deliberation and I am confident that the UGC will notify them soon,” he said.

Asked about the decision of states like Karnataka and West Bengal not to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), Pradhan said, “Their objections are not academic but political.” “I have still not been able to understand what their actual objection is about. West Bengal has taken out an alternative document. We have seen that and it is 99 percent similar to the NEP,” he said.

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