New math option helped govt school students score better in CBSE class 10 boards

The CBSE had for the first time introduced the option of basic and standard mathematics in the class 10 exams this year. Basic maths was for those who do not want to pursue the subject in higher classes.

The introduction of basic mathematics as an option in class 10 by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) played a major role in improving pass percentage across Delhi government schools -- recording a jump of over 11 percentage points in the board exams this year over 2019.

The pass percentage of students in mathematics has gone up to 88.39% this year from 73.68% in 2019.

According to the data provided by the Delhi government, of the 153,910 students from their 1005 schools who took the class 10 exams this year, 111,298 or 73% had opted for basic mathematics. The remaining 27% went for standard mathematics. As many as 94,920 (85%) passed the basic maths exam.

The CBSE had for the first time introduced the option of basic and standard mathematics in the class 10 exams this year. Basic maths was for those who do not want to pursue the subject in higher classes. Standard math was for those who want to study mathematics in class 11.

Mary Jyotsna Minj, principal of a Delhi government school in Kondli, said , “The introduction of basic mathematics was a major reason why the pass percentage in our school jumped from 68% to 91.5% this year. Also, unlike previous years, the 20-mark internal assessment was divided into four components this year, which gave students multiple opportunities to score more marks,” she said. The school recorded 156 overall compartments last year; this year the number dropped to 33.

Shailendra Sharma, senior advisor to Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia, said, “A simple tweak in a policy and focused support can do wonders for students. CBSE’s decision to divide maths into basic and standard is an example. As against 73.68% students of Delhi government schools clearing mathematics in class 10 last year, we have 88.4% students passing in this subject this year. Those who wanted to study maths beyond Class 10 opted for standard mathematics this year and 96.5% passed. A small step can make such a big difference.”

Sharma said those who opted for basic mathematics in class 10 but want to pursue the subject in higher classes can appear for standard mathematics paper along with compartment students.

Seema (who goes by first name), students of a government girls senior secondary school in Karawal Nagar, who scored 81% this year, said basic mathematics helped her improve her marks. “Since I scored 50 out of 100 in class 9, I was scared my performance in maths would affect my aggregate in Class 10. But I scored 75 in basic maths, which shows it is a good option for students like me who do not want to study maths in future,” she said.

In September last year, the Delhi government had asked all heads of government schools to counsel “low performers” to opt for basic mathematics in class 10 examination instead of standard mathematics. Following which over 73% students had opted for the basic option.

Some teachers had a different view, saying math was not the sole reason behind the increase in scores. Pawan Kumar, a math teacher at a government school in Madipur, which saw a 20 percentage point increase in its results, said, “While there wasn’t much difference between the two maths papers, repeated interventions by teachers and numerous class exercises ensured students were able to secure passing or average marks in mathematics this year. They also scored more in internal assessments.”

BP Dhyani, head of a government school in Trilokpuri, added, “While compartments in math reduced this year across most schools, care must be taken to ensure this trend continues next year, especially in times of Covid-19 crisis. If classes are not conducted even after October, it will be difficult to cover the syllabus.”