ICSE parents move HC against best-five policy

A group of parents of ICSE students in Mumbai and Pune on Monday approached the Bombay High Court challenging the state government's best-five subjects policy for SSC students.

A group of parents of ICSE students in Mumbai and Pune on Monday approached the Bombay High Court challenging the state government's best-five subjects policy for SSC students.

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The policy, announced in February, stated that for admission to junior college SSC students’ best five scores out of the total of six subjects would be counted in calculating the average percentage. However, for ICSE students the percentage will be based on marks of all seven subjects that they appear for. CBSE students appear for exams in five subjects.

The petition has sought parity for students clearing Class 10 from different boards such as the state board, CBSE and ICSE. Parents have contended that in other parts of the country like Delhi and West Bengal, when it comes to college admissions, English and the best four subjects are counted for ICSE students.

“In the absence of any clarification from the government we had no choice but to file a writ petition,” said C.V. Hegde, one of the parent petitioners. “The SSC results will be declared any time and we have no idea what the procedure will be for ICSE students to apply to junior college. We have no problems with the ‘Best Five’ policy for SSC students but then that should apply to ICSE students too, as it would be unfair otherwise.”

In Maharashtra, till last year, marks obtained in all seven subjects for ICSE students were counted for admission in junior colleges. For SSC students, all six subjects were counted. The government had justified the best five policy, that other boards had lenient marking systems.

This is the third consecutive year that parents of ICSE students have taken the government to court over admission policies favouring SSC students.