‘Best-5’ unease ahead of SSC results

“Best of 5” or “Best-5” was introduced on February 25,2010,with the government saying the aim was to rationalise marks scored by Class X students of SSC and non-SSC boards like the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE). The argument was that education pattern and checking of papers were lenient in the case of other boards as compared to SSC.

Parents of students of some other boards had moved the High Court which quashed the GR. The Supreme Court,in an interim order,set aside the HC order and allowed the GR with certain modifications. Permission was also granted to students of other boards,too,to use the best-5 pattern. The next hearing is slated for July during which the constitutional validity of the GR is likely to be up for arguments.

Manju Bhosale,principal of Hutchings School,which was one of the schools to record 100 per cent pass percentage expressed concern. “There is a need for a decision to be taken immediately. The matter has been pending. Students are confused as to what their next step should be. Even if a few schools have class XI in their schools,many students want to go for HSC. For the sake of these students,the decision needs to be taken as soon as possible,at least before the SSC results are out,” said Bhosale.

Parents are also voicing concern. “It is high time that the court gave their decision. After all,the future of children depends to a large extent on where they complete their Class XII. Even if this year,most probably admissions will be held according to the court’s interim order,the matter needs to be decided,” said a parent whose child studies in Helena’s School.

A few activists are of the view that there is an immediate need for the government to step in.

Jayant Jain,president of Forum for Fairness in Education said,“The problem is the court cannot take a public opinion and decide what students and parents want. That needs to be done by the government. The court is on vacation till July. So till then,the admissions will already have been completed and no decision will be taken again. This is where the government meets to come in and take some decisions.”