Parents have a “tough call” to make as many ICSE/ISC examinees want to write the pending papers because of unsatisfactory performance in the pre-board exams, but doing so might expose them to the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

“If they go to school to write the pending papers, it will be difficult to keep them apart once the test is over,” a parent said.

The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations has allowed its students to decide whether they would write the remaining papers of their ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) exams or be assessed through “internal assessment/pre-board examinations conducted by their own school”.

Eight ISC papers and six ICSE papers were pending when the council suspended the two exams in March to protect the children from being infected by the novel coronavirus in school.

Parents said some students had decided to be judged by their performance in the pre-board exams but they were having second thoughts after coming under the influence of those who had decided to write the papers.

“The parents now have to take a call and that is leading to additional stress on them,” the principal of an ISC school said. Some parents have been calling up teachers and school heads to ask what they should do.

“My daughter wants to write the papers because she does not want to miss the opportunity to better her score. But as a parent I am jittery about her safety when she will step out of the house,” said Tejas Doshi, whose daughter has four ICSE papers left.

Parents realise that schools tend to give “conservative marks” in internal exams so the students feel the urge to study harder for the board exams. Also, many students are not as well prepared for the internal exams as they are for the board exams.

“Schools usually give more conservative marks in the pre-boards. My daughter is apprehensive that she might miss out on a subject of her choice if she doesn’t score well in that subject,” said Manish Dalmia, whose daughter is appearing for ICSE.

“It is a tough call for us because as parents we know that when children meet their friends after a gap of three months, they will hug them. Physical distancing cannot be enforced is such a setting,” he said.

On Wednesday, the council had written to the heads of all schools that some examinees were being “coerced into making a choice, much against their wishes…. We hereby further clarify that the schools are requested not to impose and/or influence the choices of the candidates.”

The council has once again clarified that the examinees and/or their parents are free to make a choice.

Some parents are worried about their parents. “My mother is 70-plus. If my son goes out, my mother will be at risk, too.... My son is an ISC examinee and his marksheet will play a crucial role in his career decisions,” said Vivek Bhimsaria.

Some of the parents’ concerns are:

• What will the marksheet reflect if they choose not to write the exams
• What will happen if after writing one paper a family member tests positive for Covid-19

“It is an additional stress on parents because they are confused about which choice is best for the child. They don’t know how they (the children) have done in the rest of the papers and also that usually children do better in the board exams, so they are contemplating despite safety being the first concern for most parents,” said Devi Kar, the director of Modern High School for Girls.

ISC students are worried because their grades will decide which college will take them in.

“I have applied in the UK and got conditional admission, which will be made unconditional after I get my ISC marksheet. I do not want to jeopardise my chances of studying in the UK,” said Nathan Gasper Chowdhury, an ISC examinee from La Martiniere for Boys.

“Many of the ISC examiners have said they want to appear for the exam because they fear that they will otherwise jeopardise their college admissions and they don’t want to take that chance since they have been given a choice,” said John Bagul, the principal of South City International School.