Education department mulls proposal to scrap FYJC oral exams

Department officials said that while practical exams for science subjects will continue, marks for orals and projects for other subjects are likely to be scrapped.

A year after the state education department scrapped oral examinations for Class 10, it is now mulling to do the same for first-year junior college (FYJC). The department is considering putting an end to internal marks for languages and other non-science subjects.

Education department mulls proposal to scrap FYJC oral exams (Getty Images)

Under the current 80-20 pattern, students across all streams have to answer 20-mark oral exams for languages. While there are practical examinations for science subjects, students in arts and commerce have to submit projects for each subject.

Department officials said that while practical exams for science subjects will continue, marks for orals and projects for other subjects are likely to be scrapped.

“With the new paper pattern, students will find it easy to write a 100-mark examination as questions are mostly concept-based,” said a senior official from the state education department. “A final decision on the matter is yet to be taken.”

However, Satnam Verhani, vice-principal, Chandibai Himatlal Manshukhani College, Ulhasnagar, said that scrapping orals would affect students’ scores. “Many students from vernacular backgrounds find it difficult to write their papers in FYJC. With oral exams scrapped, the scores of such students will go down. Besides, projects and internal assessments help students get an idea about the subject beyond textbooks. They should be retained even in the new exam pattern,” he said.

The proposal to scrap oral examinations follows a change in the FYJC syllabus for this academic year. The new textbooks, which will come into the markets by mid-June, will have application-based questions — a switch from the earlier factual approach.

Last year, the department had decided to scrap orals for languages and social science for students appearing for the SSC exams in 2019, a move which had upset several students and parents.