Pre-board exam criteria is illegal

The Delhi government has decided to go tough on schools which forbid students to take their board exams because they fared badly in their pre-boards. Schools doing so can be disaffiliated or lose recognition.

Action against schools stopping students
The Delhi government has decided to go tough on schools which forbid students to take their board exams because they fared badly in their pre-boards.

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The State Education Minister, Arvinder Singh Lovely, has said that it is illegal to stop students from appearing for their board exams if they have done badly in their pre-boards.

Lovely said, “Stopping students from appearing in the board exams because they did not do well in the pre-boards or because they are weak students is illegal. If the students fulfil all other criteria like attendance and discipline, they can’t be stopped from appearing in the exams. Any school doing this will invite disciplinary action from the education directorate.”

Most schools, however, claim that no student is being stopped from appearing in the board exams because of poor marks in the pre-boards.

“Nobody can use it to either prevent a student from appearing in the board exams or deny him admission to Class XI. That’s illegal and unethical. Most leading schools, however, don’t resort to such measures,” said Laxman Public School principal Usha Ram, who also heads the National Progressive Schools’ Conference. 

As per the CBSE examination bylaws, a student can be denied an admission ticket on grounds of low attendance or severe indiscipline, among others.

“A school stands the risk of disaffiliation for denying a student his admit card for reasons other than the ones specified by the board. Poor academic record or bad performance in the pre-boards is not among these. Guardians should approach the CBSE if they find themselves in such a situation,” CBSE Controller of Examination Pavnesh Kumar, said.

SMART BOX

Action line
• Schools can’t stop students from appearing in Board exams on grounds of poor marks in pre-boards

• Schools doing so can be disaffiliated or lose recognition

• Only factors to be considered are poor attendance and indiscipline