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New Delhi, 31 Aug: From the current academic year, the tens of thousands of students studying in Class X need not burn the midnight oil or get stressed over the board exams ~ the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class X examination has been made optional.
Making this announcement here late this evening, human resource development minister Mr Kapil Sibal told reporters: “The CBSE Class X exams are optional from the 2009-10 academic year.”
“I have said this earlier too,” Mr Sibal said after the 56th meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) here, attended by education ministers and officials from states.
He added that the examination would give way to a grading system and students would be evaluated throughout the year.
HRD ministry officials believe this move would help relieve the stress on thousands of students and their families.
Officials said all schools, which have Class XI and XII, need not conduct the Class X examination, but schools with classes up to standard X may conduct the board examination. Under the grading system, students would be given grades like A+, A, B, C, D and E. Mr Sibal said many state governments were happy about the new system, but they need to evolve a consensus in their respective state Assemblies to implement it in their secondary education boards.
The grading system is for the CBSE now and not for the state boards, Mr Sibal said.
Meanwhile, the Centre today asked the states to cooperate in implementation of the Right To Education Act as a whopping Rs 1.5 lakh crore would be required for it in the next five years.
Chairing a meeting of central advisory board of education, Mr Sibal said that the Union government can spend
about Rs 45,000 crore for the purpose under the 11th Plan. Besides, it may spend another Rs 45,000 crore in the first three years of the 12th Plan.
“The kind of money we are looking at is 1.5 lakh crore to be able to provide quality education at elementary level. We have about Rs 90,000 crore in the 11th Plan and the first three years of the 12th Plan. We need another Rs 60,000 crore,” he said at the meeting attended by 25 state education ministers.
Also, in steps that would help in producing more sports persons in the country, the government today strongly favoured having one period everyday in schools for games and physical education.
