ICSE schools worry about impact

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) schools in the city are planning to approach the ICSE Board regarding the impact Best-Five policy on its students.

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) schools in the city are planning to approach the ICSE Board regarding the impact Best-Five policy on its students.

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Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled in favour of extending the Best-Five scheme to all students but said that ICSE students would not be able to count their Group III subject in the Best-Five average.

Students taking the ICSE Class 10 exams in 2012 will appear for exams in seven subjects (and will be able to avail their best five scores excluding the group III subject). However, for the 2013 batch onwards, students will appear for exams in only six subjects, since Environment Education will no longer be a separate one. This will leave them no option of choosing their best five scores since they will be examined in six subjects of which the Group III subject cannot be counted in the average. “Maharashtra is the only state that will be affected by the Best-Five scheme, but this is a matter of great concern for all schools here,” said a school principal.

The Association of ICSE schools in Maharashtra met on Saturday. Principals expressed concerns about students ignoring the Group III subject in the long term. Students have to pick one subject from Group III from among several vocational subject options including computer applications, commercial applications, physical education and so on. “Students will stop paying attention to the Group III subject, this will become a problem,” said another school principal. Principals also plan to raise the matter at the board’s annual all-India meeting in Hyderabad in November.

The SC had last year ruled in favour of extending the Best-Five scheme, for state board students, to all students.