Scrapping exams will hurt students’ careers: Experts

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BHUBANESWAR: While a section of students has been demanding the cancellation of the higher secondary (Plus two) exam in the wake of the rising Covid-19 cases in the state, experts believe doing so will have a cascading effect on their careers. They have advised students to keep their morale up and focus on studies.
“Interestingly, we don’t have the provision of internal assessment in higher secondary. On what basis will the students be marked. Those who want the exam scrapped must surely not be serious about their careers. The government has not yet asked the students to come to the examination centres by risking their lives. It is an unprecedented emergency situation, students must not lose patience and wait till June,” said Basudev Chhatoi, former president of the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), which conducts the Class XII board exam in the state. Students of a few higher secondary schools have staged protests in the capital city over the last few days to step up the pressure on the government.
“The state government must not be bullied by the students into cancelling the examination,” said Chhatoi. Around four lakh students from four streams — arts, science, commerce and vocational — appear for the higher secondary examination every year.
“There is no comparison between the Class X and Class XII courses. In Class X, students have a uniform curriculum. But in Plus II, there are students of different streams, who take up courses in different combinations. So assessing them using the same parameter is not possible. Besides, the assessment of students in Plus II is crucial as they will go for higher studies in diverse fields,” said Prabodh Panda, former controller of examination at CHSE. He added that postponing the exam is better than cancelling it.
Meanwhile, academicians said the government must think of some novel method for assessing the students.

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