Newly-affiliated CBSE schools disadvantaged by a technicality in class 10 scoring policy

Vinod Kakumanu
June 30, 2021, 5:06 p.m.

After the cancellation of the board exams in the wake of the pandemic, there has been a lot of brainstorming and analysis to decide on assessment alternatives.

The newly affiliated CBSE schools in Hyderabad offer a case study of sorts on the procedural hiccups of the alternative assessment techniques for class 10 students.

The newly affiliated schools maintain that the tabulation policy offered by the board for the evaluation of students of the newer schools is putting them at a disadvantage compared to the students of the older schools since it is restricting them from getting exceptionally high marks.

Notably, out of 200 CBSE schools in Hyderabad, about 15 are newly affiliated and will see their maiden batch of high schoolers pass out in 2021.

The disadvantage, the managements say, lies with the guidelines of the policy that directs the school to evaluate the students based on their past performance—best in the last 3 years. The new schools may not have that data as the students in them have not necessarily been studying there for the last 3 years. The schools will have to alternatively resort to the district average as a reference. This technicality is proving to be a real roadblock as the number of such students is significant.

The problem is that if the district average is taken as the reference for assessment, the students who could have scored exceptionally will see themselves herded with the average lot.

The schools have written to the board and asked for an alternative.