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Kashmir students say they are underprepared amid talk of holding CBSE exams
They say the education system in J&K has been virtually defunct since August 2019 when a lockdown and communications blockade was imposed in the region to prevent protests against the nullification of the Constitution’s Article 370 that ended the region’s special semi-autonomous status
Baiza Bashir, a student at a Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated school in Kashmir, was promoted to Class 12 in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic that forced schools globally to switch to online classes. But many like her were left to fend for themselves until high-speed 4G internet was finally restored in February in Jammu & Kashmir over a year after it was blocked in August 2019 when the region was stripped of its semi-autonomous status. “We could hardly attend online classes like the rest of Indian students,” said Bashir.
Students like her say they remain unprepared for exams as most states on Tuesday told the Union education ministry that CBSE Class 12 examinations should be conducted. They say the education system in Jammu & Kashmir has been virtually defunct since August 2019 when a lockdown and communications blockade was imposed in the region to prevent protests against the nullification of the Constitution’s Article 370 that ended the region’s special semi-autonomous status.
Most schools in the region are affiliated to Jammu & Kashmir State Board of School Education, which has conducted the Class 12th in the Kashmir Valley.
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Janifer Salati, another Class 12th class student due to appear for CBSE exams, recalled how cumbersome it was to download apps for online classes. “With 2G [slow speed internet] network, Zoom classes would buffer so much that hardly anything could be heard, leave alone taking notes....” She added there have been no such thing as mock tests or any other monthly evaluative exams. “We definitely did not take any exam on the CBSE pattern. Now if the CBSE is expecting us to outperform in this exam, it would be totally unfair.”
Kamran Asif, a third student, said lockdowns in Kashmir also impacted their preparations for Class 11th exams and this has hurt particularly science stream students as they prepare for Class 12 tests. He added it matters what they learnt in Class 11. “...we hardly attended any classes of the 11th standard because the situation back then was very uncertain.” Asif added this has impacted their comprehension. He added they also fear no matter how sanitised the schools will be, they will have to take exams in closed spaces. “It is not possible to keep wearing masks for three hours together in a closed crowded [exam] hall.”
Asif said they will ideally want the CBSE to come up with an alternative assessment system that does not require the physical appearance of students. “...delaying exams further is not an option. We have to apply for admissions to colleges...”
Rafiq Ahmad Sofi, a teacher at a CBSE affiliated school, said the promotion of students on the basis of remote or internal assessment will put the students at a disadvantage when they apply for admissions abroad. “The foreign universities will obviously give preference to the students who have scored better grades by taking written exams rather than those who have not even appeared in them,” said Sofi. “The assessment based on internal and practical exams conducted in schools should be the last resort... only the offline exams would be in the best interest of the students.”
Additional secretary (education) Naseer Wani refused to comment. Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, the advisor to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on education, was unavailable for comments.
