LET STUDENTS CHOOSE SUBJECTS IN CLASS X

Let students choose subjects in class X: Panel to GSHSEB

AHMEDABAD: Studying in classes X, XI and XII will soon change for ever. The final exam blues of class X may well be done away with for ever.

A committee set up by Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) to review the higher secondary classes has recommended to the board that the class X exam should be made optional.

The 14-member committee put forth its recommendations on Wednesday in its third meeting with the board. The committee was headed by Sudhir Mankad, former chief secretary of Gujarat. The marathon meeting continued for four hours.

The committee has also suggested that class X students should be given the option of choosing the difficulty level of their exams. For this purpose formation of group A and group B has been suggested. Group A will be the basic level for average performing students who want to look at options like commerce, arts, diploma engineering and ITI courses.

Group B is only for students who aim to take up science stream in class XI. For students who opt for group B, it is over and above the papers of group A. This group will be especially for students who want to compete on the basis of marks.

"Other recommendations of the committee include introducing semester system in class XI and class XII. The committee suggests implementation of the system from the next academic year. It strongly believes that the implementation should be made one class at a time, so the transformation will take two years," said a source.

The three major issues that would challenge the board while implementing this system are planning of curriculum, designing of textbooks and teacher training.

The committee also agreed that the list of toppers should not be declared with their percentage and name of the school, but they be given grades and percentile in their final result.

Acting chairman of GSHSEB Hasmukh Adhiya said, "The final recommendation of the committee is yet to come. It is expected after one more meeting, which will be conducted on October 23".

Most of the recommendations are ready, but have not been presented in the meetings so far for fear of their being scrapped like the idea of open book exam.

Meanwhile, the committee will also visit other states to observe the pattern over there.

SOURCE;TOI