Students enrolled in board classes of government, government-aided and Punjab School Education Board-affiliated (PSEB) private schools in the state will now take final exams in their own schools.
As per the latest order of the PSEB, the students of Classes VIII, X and XII will have their board centres in their own respective schools like the students of Class V.
Earlier, board students of upper primary classes used to appear in exam centres of other schools.
“This has been done for the first upcoming session of the final board exams to be held next month tentatively from December 13 to December 23. Since students will appear for the first time post relaxations in Covid restrictions, we don’t want them to be under any kind of stress,” said Yograj Sharma, PSEB chairman.
Pertinently, boards will be held in two sessions of 50 marks each.
He added that though students no longer will go to other schools to take their board exams, their subject teachers will be deputed in other schools for the exam duty.
“This will help us to stop students from cheating and thus staff will be shuffled for the exam duties,” stated Sharma.
Moreover, to refrain schools from adopting cheating tactics, the PSEB-affiliated private schools have been strictly asked to install CCTV cameras in classrooms during the board examination or else the board will cancel the examination centre on the day of the examination.
{{/usCountry}}Moreover, to refrain schools from adopting cheating tactics, the PSEB-affiliated private schools have been strictly asked to install CCTV cameras in classrooms during the board examination or else the board will cancel the examination centre on the day of the examination.
{{/usCountry}}“The order for the installation of cameras is only for private schools since they will have their own staff on duty,” added the chairman.
A Performa as an undertaking pertaining to the same has been mailed to the schools and the principals have been asked to submit their forms with the board till November 15.
Mixed response from teachers
Meanwhile, the decision has got a mixed response from teachers in the district.
A government teacher in a senior secondary school, Ludhiana, said this will be an opportunity for private schools to improve and manipulate their results.
“The policy of students going to other schools for their board exams was earlier formed to curb the practice of helping students during their final exams to procure better results for schools. Now private schools will easily manipulate the board results of their students,” said the teacher.
Another teacher appreciated the move stating that students are already overburdened with so much on their plate and thus this will help them mentally.
However, for the first time, students will get the objective type question papers in their board exams.
“Since students were busy preparing for National Achievement Survey (NAS) since the past a few months, similar multiple-choice questions (MCQs) pattern followed in the NAS will be followed in the first session of the board exams next month,” said a senior official in the education department.