Parents of ICSE students don’t want common question papers for all schools

The circular released last month, said that it would send common question papers and set a common timetable for all students in Class 9 and 11 to bring uniformity in the paper pattern and to ensure that schools teach the entire syllabus for these two classes.

Parents of Class 9 and 11 students studying in the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board have opposed a recent decision of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to introduce common question papers across all its schools from this academic year. Parents said the move will make the Class 9 and 11 exams like board exams and put more stress on the students.

Parents said the move will make the Class 9 and 11 exams like board exams and put more stress on the students. (Hindustan Time Photo)

As of Thursday evening, around 6,700 parents from across the country, including the ones from the city, had signed an online petition started by a Delhi-based parent to oppose the CISCE’s decision.

“ICSE board exams are going to affect 2,000 schools. There was no opinion or consensus taken for passing such a rule. We object to ICSE imposing such uncalled for rules and burdening the students with extra load of studies/syllabus and in turn causing mental trauma to innocent minds,” the petition reads.

“The sheer format of the exams will create a lot of stress for the students. When schools set their own papers, students know what to expect and can accordingly prepare,” said a city-based parent who has signed the petition.

In a circular released last month, the council, which conducts ICSE (Class 10) and Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC) for Class 12, said that it would send common question papers and set a common timetable for all students in Class 9 and 11 to bring uniformity in the paper pattern and to ensure that schools teach the entire syllabus for these two classes. The exams however, will be conducted and evaluated by the school, the council said.

Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary, CISCE, said parents and students need not panic as the exam will still be conducted at the school level.

“The idea behind introducing a uniform system is to ensure that schools do not skip anything from the Class 9 and 11 syllabus. Also, the paper pattern is expected to act as a specimen for the board exams which will be useful for students,” he said.