CBSE, ISC exams 12th Boards cancelled; UAE school fraternity express relief

Our Correspondent

With the Indian government’s decision to cancel Class XII board exams this year, students, teachers and parents of CBSE schools in the UAE are relieved and happy. Parents and students, who had been expressing their anguish over the uncertainty and unending wait, can now proceed with university admissions.

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) also announced on June 1 that the Indian School Certificate (ISC) exams for Class 12 have been cancelled.

This decision was taken following at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 taking into consideration the health and safety of students due to the intense second wave of Covid-19 pandemic sweeping India. The number of children affected by the current wave of Covid-19 in India has also seemingly had a role to play in the decision.

Hashtags such as #CancelBoardExams and #ModijiSave12thStudents was trending on social media until the government announcement.

CBSE-affiliated school principals in the UAE have welcomed the move. However, some expressed reservations about the assessment as most internal assessments in grade 12 were conducted online this year and chances of unfair scores were high compared to onsite exams.

Students will be evaluated ‘on an objective criteria and time-bound manner’, the details of which will be released later. The Class 12 result is likely to include the performance of a student in Grade 9, 10 and 11. Students will also have an option to appear for exams later if they wish, when it is safe.

Some students were skeptical about the assessment criteria. Petitions supported by students are being filed to Indian authorities to formulate aptitude-based admission criteria for students seeking admission to professional courses.

Apart from local colleges and those in India, many students in the UAE head to the US, UK or rest of Europe for higher studies.