CBSE, board exams in the time of pandemic: The challenges faced by students
A student's performance in the board exams hinges not just on the difficulties in taking the exam, but on the challenges faced during the entire course of the academic year. And these challenges need due acknowledgement
CBSE, board exams 2021: Board examinations mark the academic rite of passage for millions of students in India every year. They are an important yardstick in determining the life trajectories of the nation's human capital. But just the process of taking these exams has become a challenge for the students of batch 2020-21. The reason is the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent disruption caused by it to the education sector and the world at large.
Preparation for board exams - be it CBSE or ISC - begins with the start of an academic year. From the get-go, students and teachers chart out an action plan for implementing the curriculum and assessing the students' academic progress through periodic internal tests. Teaching strategies are drawn, tweaked and improvised to fill any gaps that may appear in pupils' learning outcomes.
In short, a student's performance in the board exams hinges not just on the difficulties in taking the exam, but on the challenges faced during the entire course of the academic year. And these challenges need due acknowledgement, if we are to truly understand the difficult situation the students of class 12 are in, pertaining to the board exams.
Challenges faced during the academic year
The lockdown began in the month of March, 2020. Schools across India shut down and moved to the online mode of teaching. At the end of September, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued the unlock guidelines that permitted a phased reopening of schools from October 15, 2020 onwards. But this reopening happened in fits and starts. The regions that witnessed resurgence of viral infections had to shut down again and so it has continued for the most part of the academic year 2020-21. The cancellation of class 10 board exams by CBSE and ISC was announced in April. The 12th board exams were postponed.
Over the course of this turbulent academic year, the students have faced multiple challenges:
- As per reports, only around 50 percent of the students had online connections, which means that the schools imparting online education weren't able to reach out to all the students. Those who were left out faced learning gaps.
- Though CBSE and other state boards including ISC reduced 30 percent of the syllabus, this reduction was not proportionate to the schooling time lost.
- Due to the closure of schools, the students were not able to do lab works, for example the experiments based on electricity and optics. These learning gaps may continue and it will be the responsibility of colleges to bridge these gaps.
- Adolescent students have a natural requirement to connect with peers and formulate their own opinions. The lockdown seriously impacted this experiential learning, as students got confined to their homes and limited their interactions.
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- Another fall-out of the prolonged lockdown was lack of peer-bonding, which is an important part of schooling life. As a result, many students faced issues of socio-emotional well-being. Some schools did reach out to these students, but several of them may have missed counselling.
-Lack of physical activities such as sports and yoga that are part of the daily schooling schedule took its toll on students' physical health.
- Online education is a stopgap substitute for in-person classroom learning but it is in no way a replacement. Overtime, students are facing what is called the screen fatigue and are finding it difficult to keep their interest and attention from flagging.
Challenges in the run-up to board exams
For the most part of the academic year 2020-21, students attended classes online. The efficacy of this online education was reflected in the pre-board exams that the students took in the months of December and January. The average scores of students in many schools were lower than the previous years' averages, indicating at lower learning levels and achievements.
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The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting postponement of class 12 board exams have now created a new set of challenges for students.
- Uncertainty about the date of Board Exams is nagging at the minds of the students. There is also lack of clarity if the exams will happen or not. If the exams do take place, a minimum of 3 months will be needed to complete the cycle. So, most of the students be anxious about the high-stakes Board Exams. And then the future will start unfolding by September or October, which is too late for a normal academic year.
- Many students who have applied for foreign universities and have got conditional admissions may miss the bus if the results get delayed beyond the 1st week of July.
- To make things worse the process of college admissions has got seriously hit by the second wave of Covid, thereby adding to the anxiety levels of an average student.
- Students also seem to have their apprehensions about the criterion for academic assessments that may be adopted in case the XII Board Exams are cancelled. The bright and outstanding students may particularly be nervous about not getting the deserving marks or grades to progress to college education.
- Since the second wave of the pandemic is affecting the younger population as well, it's possible that many students are directly or indirectly affected by Covid. This may impact their health and ability to perform in Board Exams.
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Be prepared and hope for the best
In view of the uncertainty over class 12 board exams, there is a possibility of complacency setting in. Students who have been trained online on 70 percent of the content over a period of 8-9 months may find it challenging, and even frustrating, to keep up the momentum and memorisation skills. On top of it, a fatigue may set in, along with mental depression due to the large number of Covid casualties being reported in the second wave.
The right approach to tackle this uncertainty is to assume that the exams will happen and be prepared for them. That way students will not be caught off guard. The teachers must also play their part in counselling and guiding students through this tough time. This once-in-a-century pandemic has thrown up unprecedented challenges, but we can overcome them with 4 P's: Preparedness, Precaution, Patience and Perseverance.
- Written by Harish Sanduja. The author is Director - Schools, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, Ghaziabad.
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