Days after the state board recorded Mumbai division’s worst Class 10 performance since 2008, the education department is mulling a mechanism to ensure state secondary certificate (SSC) students don’t lag behind in the upcoming first year junior college (FYJC) admissions.
On Monday, state education minister Vinod Tawde held a meeting with senior officials of the board and the education department to discuss possible changes to the admission process. “While the new paper pattern ensured there was no spiking of marks, other boards still have a lot of internal components, which makes scoring good marks easier. As there are a select few coveted colleges in the city, where all meritorious students want to secure a seat, competition will be fierce. Some ideas were discussed to ensure state board students are not left behind,” said a source from the department.
Tawde confirmed the government were looking for a solution. “We have started the thought process [to see] what can be done,” he said in a text message to HT.
While officials from the department did not reveal the solutions discussed, sources said attempts are being made to ensure it is a level-playing field for SSC students. Starting this year, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) decided to scrap oral examinations for languages and social sciences as a result of which students had to take 100-mark exams for these subjects. The new paper pattern, along with a revised syllabus, is seen as the key reason for the dip in scores. “If there is a levelling process during admissions, there won’t be a need to reintroduce internal marks,” said a senior official. The education department is likely to announce its decision formally in the next few days.
{{/usCountry}}While officials from the department did not reveal the solutions discussed, sources said attempts are being made to ensure it is a level-playing field for SSC students. Starting this year, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) decided to scrap oral examinations for languages and social sciences as a result of which students had to take 100-mark exams for these subjects. The new paper pattern, along with a revised syllabus, is seen as the key reason for the dip in scores. “If there is a levelling process during admissions, there won’t be a need to reintroduce internal marks,” said a senior official. The education department is likely to announce its decision formally in the next few days.
{{/usCountry}}The schedule for FYJC admissions is likely to be declared after that.
HT had earlier reported on the marking patterns for Class 10 students of various boards. Under the current pattern, CBSE students have 20 internal marks for all compulsory subjects – English, second language, maths, science and social sciences. These marks are given by the school after calculating the student’s performance in the subject through the year. The Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) allows students to drop mathematics in Class 9 and 10. Students can instead opt for an optional subject, for which they have 50 internal marks. For core subjects such as English, social sciences and the second language, students have to write 80-mark exams, while 20 marks are given internally.