Page 16 - EducationWorld May 2021

Education News

to the state of Rajasthan, private Traditionally, students
school promoters and manage- from schools affiliated with
ments countrywide have welcomed national boards (CBSE,
this judgement which affirms the CISCE) score highly in class
fundamental right of private schools X exams due to the more
to determine the fees of their institu- lenient marking system of
tions and restricts the right of the these boards compared to
State/government to interfere with their state board counter-
their fee structures only in instances parts. This is because the
of blatant profiteering and commer- national boards follow a
cialisation. system under which board
“Although the apex court verdict examiners award 80 marks
is only applicable to Rajasthan, this for answer papers and
elaborate and well-reasoned judge- the remaining 20 marks
ment lays down important principles Varsha Gaikwad: advice unheeded are awarded by affiliated
of law which are applicable coun- schools’ teachers. State
trywide. It unambiguously affirms CBSE, CISCE, IB and other schools for board school parents believe internal
the right of school managements admission into junior colleges (classes marking gives CBSE and CISCE stu-
to determine the total fees payable XI-XII) of their choice. This year 1.65 dents advantage against MSBSHSE
by parents and upholds the sanc- million students of state board schools students — all of whom compete for
tity of contracts between parents were scheduled to write their class X FYJC admissions. The education min-
and schools. Moreover the burden exams from April 29-May 20. But on ister’s announcement that the minis-
of proof to prove that schools are April 20, the state’s education min- try will “work out a process to mark
indulging in profiteering and com- ister Varsha Gaikwad announced state board students on the basis of in-
mercialisation has shifted from cancellation of this school-leaving ternal assessments,” has not assuaged
schools to government. We hope that exam. parents’ fears.
reckless interference in the matter of Maharashtra follows a 10+2+3 ed- Nobody expects the class X as-
fees fixation of private schools will ucation system with higher secondary “sessments to be fair this year if the
now end,” says Damodar Prasad classes XI-XII commonly referred to onus of awarding marks is on schools
Goyal, president of Society for Un- as junior college. This system classi- rather than board examiners. With all
aided Private Schools of Rajasthan. fies class X students as school-leavers schools shut down for the past year
Although Goyal is too polite to and requires them to seek fresh ad- because of the pandemic, CBSE and
say so, this landmark judgement mission into junior colleges. Class X CISCE affiliated schools conducted
is a slap in the collective face of exam results are thus an important well-planned tests and projects evalu-
the Central and state governments determinant in securing admission ation. On the other hand, state board
whose officials believe that they have into the best of the state’s 7,000 junior schools have been unable to conduct
an unfettered right to interfere with colleges where admission cut-offs are internal assessments, home assign-
contracts voluntarily negotiated in the 80-90-plus percent range for all ments, check daily online attendance
between citizens. streams. and project work continuously. Thus
Dilip Thakore (Bengaluru) Moreover, junior colleges admit with no uniformity in teaching and
class X school-leaving students of all marking systems of exam boards,
MAHARASHTRA boards including CBSE, CISCE, etc on marks assigned through internal ex-
Examination imbroglio the basis of their average scores. This ams will not be reliable. There will be a
intensifies competition for admission
huge number of undeserving students
into class XI aka FYJC or first year ju- who will clear class X. Had the state
he state government’s cancella- nior college. In the past academic year government heeded our demand to
tion of the school-leaving class 2020-21, 2.83 million students regis- hold online instead of offline exams in
TX SSC exam of the Maharashtra tered for admission into junior colleg- urban areas, our children would not
State Board of Secondary and Higher es in the Mumbai metropolitan region be in this predicament today,” says
Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), under the state’s centralised online Prasad Tulaskar, a Mumbai-based
because of rising Covid-19 cases in the admission process. Little wonder ad- parent whose Twitter campaign for
state, has aroused fears of class X stu- mission cut-offs of top-ranked junior online exams is supported by over 1
dents from 21,000 MSBSHSE-affili- colleges which are often integrated million parents and students.
ated schools being at a disadvantage with undergrad colleges such as St. Indeed, with online student atten-
when competing with students from Xavier’s, Mumbai are 95 percent-plus. dance averaging a mere 50 percent in

16 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2021