Maharashtra: Poor planning leaves board students stuck

Confusion and lack of coordination within the state education department has left nearly 33 lakh Class 10 and 12 aspirants in the state board in a lurch this year

Confusion and lack of coordination within the state education department has left nearly 33 lakh Class 10 and 12 aspirants in the state board in a lurch this year.

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With the rising Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra and the resultant lockdown, the state government decided to cancel Class 10 SSC exams that was earlier scheduled to be held in June. While the education department declared in April that it will mark Class 10 students based on internal assessments, it later came up with a survey asking schools if considering such assessments to mark students is feasible. The survey brief stated that internal assessment will be based on online classes, WhatsApp-based teaching and assessment, online tests, term examinations, practice tests. “Schools which didn’t undergo these processes will assess their students’ performance based on their Class 9 progress,” as per the survey.

The education department also released another survey asking students if they would be willing to take an entrance exam for first-year junior college admissions. Both these surveys, however, exposed the education department’s poor handling of the issue and a lack of coordination between its various wings such as the state board, the MSCERT and its administrative and bureaucratic officials. While the government had formed a committee of experts to provide inputs on the conduct of exams and assessments for the year, members of the group said they were not kept in the loop about the surveys.

“We also saw them in some groups and have no idea where it came from. The surveys are not just unscientific but are poorly worded and thus create confusion. While decisions on calculating assessments and conducting entrance tests are yet to be taken, the survey brief almost mentions this as a matter of fact which has confused schools too,” said a member of the expert committee.

While the education department had said in April that exams for HSC (Class 12) will be conducted as per the earlier plan in May end, the state board has neither released a timetable nor come up with a notification stating whether or not these exams can be conducted.

“Right now, students are just kept in the dark. They don’t know whom to ask. Students need to be told about the status of their exams at least a month in advance. The current situation is just too stressful,” said Ranjana Mahajan, a city-based parent.

Officials at the department did not respond to calls and messages.

Experts are now calling for better coordination and communication between various wings of the government and the education department. “Communication made to students should be consistent and timely,” added a senior academician.