The state higher secondary council is seeking opinions from senior teachers on whether a student in the segmented plus-II course has to pass in each of the four semesters or score 30 per cent (pass marks) in the two semesters together in each year to clear the examination.
The council earlier said that a student has to score at least 30 per cent in the theory papers in the two semesters together in each year (first and second semester for Class XI and third and fourth semester for Class XII) to pass HS.
Council president Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya said many teachers’ associations had written to him saying students would not take the examinations seriously if they knew that failing in one of the semesters wouldn’t come in the way of clearing HS if
they did better in the other semesters.
He said many senior teachers had proposed that students be made to pass in each of the four semesters.
President Bhattacharya said by the first week of April they would make a final announcement on how students would be assessed in the HS exams.
“We have sought opinions from the senior teachers on how the council will assess students in the semesterised plus-II courses. What we had said on March 14 has triggered a debate. Many teachers think the assessment pattern we spoke about during a news conference while announcing the split of plus-II courses in four semesters, will lead to dilution of the examination system,” he told The Telegraph.
“I am also of the view that a student should pass in each semester. Some of the opinions have already reached the council. By the first week of April, we will announce the format.”
The council will test students entirely on multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in the first and third semesters. The students will be tested on short-answer and descriptive-type questions in the second and fourth semesters.
A senior council official said they had not uploaded the examination rules on its website because of the possible rethink.
“There are chances that we will ask students to pass in each semester. That will force students to take them seriously. If they don’t learn how to write the short answer and descriptive type questions, they will struggle at colleges and universities,” the official said.
One of the reasons behind launching the semesterised plus-II courses is to acclimatise students with the system that was already in place for undergraduate courses.
The secretary of the council, Priyadarshini Mullick, said the council did not want to have any assessment system which could lead to the deterioration of the academic standards.
“We are taking opinions from the relevant quarters,” said Mullick.