Class 10 exam comeback evokes mixed reactions

Class X Board exams are set to make a comeback from 2018 but schools in the Capital have a mixed opinion about the move with some saying it will put pressure on students and many others welcoming the change.

According to sources, in its governing body meet, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) decided that compulsory Class X board exams will make a comeback under which 80% weightage would be given to the written exam and 20% to internal assessment by the schools.

The recommendations will now be sent to the HRD ministry for approval. HRD minister Prakash Javadekar has been in favour of reintroducing the exam.

Principals said implementation of Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) was anyway difficult in government schools owing to the large number of students in one classroom, introduced seven years ago, aimed at improving activity-based learning.

“Under CCE nobody was actually focusing on learning because teachers were busy in making files. Till Class VIII anyway the student passes and then you had CCE which meant a lot of students from government schools just entered Class XI without really having studied or tested on anything,” said Rajeshwari Kapri, principal of Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Sonia Vihar.

source: www.hindustantimes.com

CBSE Class X boards back from 2018 with strict implementation of three language formula

Students of the Central Board of Secondary Exams or CBSE will have to take board exams after Class X compulsorily from 2018. The proposal was unanimously cleared by the CBSE Board of Governors today. 
Right now it is optional for CBSE students to choose either board exam or school based examination

Main Changes

• Compulsory Class X board exam from 2018

• Written exam to have 80% weightage and internal assessment 20%

• Schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education should follow a Three-language formula whereby they teach Hindi, English and one language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution.

• Foreign languages should be taught as the fourth language/elective in schools.

Nursery Admissions Delhi (2017-2018) - All you need to know about new circular/order issued on 19th Dec 2016

Fear is the mind-killer! So lets all understand what this new order is all about.

New DOE Delhi order dated 19th Dec 2016 issued for Nursery Admissions in Delhi for session 2017-2018 is bit confusing, and here I have simplified this for you in 3 simple steps -

Step I) This new circular is applicable only for -

1. Families that do NOT belong to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) or Disadvantaged Group (DG) categories
2. Only for admissions to Private, Unaided and Recognized Schools of Delhi
3. Nursery Admissions in Delhi for session 2017-2018
4. Schools that are NOT constructed on DDA land (there are 285 schools in Delhi that are on DDA land)
5. Schools that are NOT run by government

Step II) In short - 

1. SOME GOOD NEWS! - This order is NOT applicable for about 50% of the "well-known" schools of Delhi as they are constructed on DDA land (Yes!), these schools (total 285 of them) must admit 75% of students from neighborhood. Detailed guidelines will be released by DOE in coming days.
2. MORE GOOD NEWS! - This order is applicable for all other Private Schools of Delhi, and most of those are either Small-Mid sized Private Schools, or they are one of those 5-7 star category schools of Delhi that have their own land.

Step III) Bit of BAD news. We all make mistakes, every system has loopholes, so does this order (that has mistakes and loopholes)

Point#7 in the order refers to DOE order issued on 06-01-2016 (No. F.DE.15/Act-l/4607/l3/2015/5686-5696), which states that schools shall not adopt criteria abolished in that old order, the problem is that the original list had 62 criteria, but new order has restricted use of 51 criteria hence leaving open several disputed ones, here are few criteria that schools may use to their advantage -

• Points for management quota - old order leaves room for this by stating "However, if required, the children of the staff and the children of the members of the Management Committee can be given admission by making it a criterion and assigning points"
• Special ground (parents with proficiency in specific areas of art etc)
• First child
• School transport users

Although there would only be 25% seats that schools can fiddle with, and we hope DOE fixes this loophole to ensure admission process is fair ever.

Here is the admission schedule as published in the order :

               Source: http://www.edudel.nic.in/

Nursery Admissions Delhi 2017-18 Schedule and Guidelines (Directorate of Education)

Admission Schedule for entry level classes for open seats in Private unaided recognized schools of Delhi for session 2017-18