Principals of CBSE and CISCE schools in the UAE on Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court of India’s final nod to the two boards’ evaluation criteria for Grade 12 students, dismissing several petitions that challenged the criteria.
India’s apex court said the assessment schemes set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (CISCE) were fair and reasonable and that it saw no reason to interfere with them. The evaluation formulae of the two main boards were thus accepted.
Thousands of students and parents filed petitions against the 30:30:40 formula, saying that the pupils were not as well prepared in previous years, UAE principals have said.
Based on the criteria, to calculate the final Grade 12 results, 30 per cent of the assessment will be taken from Class 10 grades; 30 per cent from Class 11; and 40 per cent from Class 12.
“There were different petitions filed by people in large numbers. But the Supreme Court dismissed these petitions, saying it’s a well-informed decision taken at the highest level to protect the interest of all students,” explained Zubair Ahmad, head of operations of Springdales School Dubai.
With the final decision now out, results shall be declared by July 31. Those who aren’t satisfied with their results can register online for a physical exam and the marks secured in that exam will be considered final.
The CBSE said the disputes regarding the result computation will be referred to a committee. These optional exams, it added, will be held tentatively between August 15 and September 15.
Arogya Reddy, principal of the Ambassador School Sharjah, said “a considerable number of parents challenged the CBSE when exams were cancelled without any criteria. Upon the Supreme Court’s intervention…it’s approved now…The CISCE took time to submit their criteria as their assessment scheme is different from CBSE and a little more complex. But now, both the boards’ evaluation criteria have been approved”.
Teachers affiliated with the CISCE schools reiterated that like the CBSE, their board has also stated that candidates who are not satisfied with the assessment scheme will have the option to appear in a written examination for one or more subjects.
Sheela Menon, principal of Ambassador School, Dubai, explained: “CISCE has adopted a more comprehensive statistical derivation using broad parameters to formulate the evaluation scheme, collecting data, including overall results of the school from 2015 to 2020. This includes practical/project work marks, raw total, raw standard deviation, among several other parameters. This entire process, to ensure a fair and holistic approach, took the Council more time to arrive at a consensus from a team of reputed statisticians and senior CISCE officials.”
SAVE THE DATES
a) July 31: Release of CBSE Grade 12 results
b) August 15-September 15: Tentative period for optional exams for students who are not satisfied with the results
RECAP: Grade 12 criteria
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