E-Paper
Papers still zap students
The first day of Class X Board exams left many students struggling to list sufficient differences between Kathak and Kathakali. The 4-mark question in social science paper, which asked them to differentiate between two classical dance forms was ?not as per syllabus?.
The first day of the Class X Board exams left many students struggling to list sufficient differences between Kathak and Kathakali.
The 4-mark question in Set No. III of the social science paper, which asked students to differentiate between two classical dance forms and to list their main features, was “not according to the syllabus”, said many teachers and students.
“There is only a passing reference to the classical dance forms in the NCERT textbooks. How can they ask this for four marks?” said Rahul Garg of Amity International School, Saket.
Though overall the paper was described as “easy”, many teachers feel that fewer marks could have been allotted to this question. “The social science paper was satisfactory on the whole. But the dance forms question shouldn’t have had more than two marks,” said Geetashree, social science teacher, Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai. “Students didn’t know what to write for four marks as the NCERT book does not explain this elaborately.”
Though today’s problem was a small one compared to what the Class XII students faced in the physics test on Tuesday, as Anshul, of Kendriya Vidyalaya, RK Puram, pointed out, “Even four marks make a big difference to our overall percentage.”
CBSE officials, as always, maintained that the question was within the syllabus and nothing “out of syllabus” was asked. Meanwhile, many teachers have decided to write to the CBSE on this dispute.
SMART BOX
Question time
• Set No. III, Qs 14: Differentiate between kathak and kathakali (four marks). Teachers and students complain it should have been for two marks as textbook has no details
• A six-mark question on communalism and causes of communalism in Set No. II was termed ‘not satisfactory’ by students and teachers
• Map questions ‘straight’ compared to last year
• Sets I and II were termed ‘easy’
