Parents, students protest Haryana govt’s proposed decision to hold board exams for class 8 students

Sudhir Sachdeva, whose son is studying at an ICSE-board private school in Gurgaon in class VIII, said the decision was irrational and would create more confusion for students.

“In the past two years, children have faced uncertainty and isolation and struggled to adapt to hybrid teaching. My son’s final exams are going on at the moment. Now, after final exams, the government is imposing a new exam of the board, whose curriculum is entirely different. The BSEH syllabus differs from syllabi being taught in other boards in several schools. Our children are not familiar with this syllabus and it is unfair to expect them to prepare in a little over a month,” he said.

“Why are we demoralising students, who are already suffering physically and mentally for past two years?” he asked.

He added, “We consciously chose an ICSE board school based on a certain assessment of learning that our child would get. All of a sudden, children are being asked to adapt to demands of a different board at the end of session. My child has an option of a third language of Spanish or French, while the Haryana Board will determine a different language to test on. In a few weeks, they can’t pick up another language.”

In October 2021, the Haryana government had given directions to re-introduce board exams for Classes V and VIII in all schools to be conducted by the Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH) to conduct a standardised assessment of learning outcomes. The order was later withdrawn by the government after some associations of CBSE-affiliated private schools had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the order.

On January 18, the government brought out a notification to amend the Right to Education Act and appointed the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Haryana as the academic authority to conduct exams for classes V and VIII. On January 28, the SCERT entrusted BSEH with the responsibility of holding exams for the two classes.

In February, the BSEH in its letter to district education officers had directed that all schools must register with the Haryana board by February 20 for holding of exams for class VIII in March this year. The board decided not to conduct exams for Class V for this year. Some school associations have filed another petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a stay on the order.

Pradeep Rawat, founder, Gurgaon Parents Association, said, “There is no logic in the decision to hold board exams for children of classes V and VIII when children have not even been to a classroom in two years. Most students of elementary classes do not even know the concept of a board examination. There should be an option of internal assessment instead of holding boards exams.”

A class VIII student, requesting anonymity, said, “Conducting a board examination has to be a well thought out decision and not a random one being forced on students a month ahead of exams. We have just been told that in a month that we have to appear for a board exam with a syllabus we are not familiar with. We want the government to reconsider the decision and take it back.”

The Indian Express had earlier reported that despite strong reservations from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), CISCE and private school bodies, the Haryana administration had decided to proceed with its plan of holding an exam for class VIII in March end.