ICSE schools in the city are planning to start Class XI early after the council cancelled the Class X exams on Monday and advised schools to start “online classes for the Class XI students at the earliest”.
Several schools said they were planning to start either by the end of this month or in the first week of May.
Schools are considering the students’ academic performance in Class X and IX before granting them admission.
In some schools, admission tests have been conducted in science subjects and mathematics to assess the students’ aptitude.
“Students had to submit their choice of stream at the time of annual report card in April. Now, we will speak to the academic coordinators, look at their marks in Classes IX and X and then offer them their subjects. We will also speak to parents to see whether a child can pursue in Class XI a stream he has selected,” said Father Thamacin Arulappan, the principal of St Xavier’s Collegiate School.
He plans to start classes by the end of this month. Those applying to St Xavier’s from other schools will have to upload their marks and appear for an online interview after the school makes the announcement.
La Martiniere for Girls, Sri Sri Academy, Rammohan Mission High School and St Augustine’s Day School, Calcutta plan to start classes by the first week of May.
Schools like Modern High School for Girls will start next week and Calcutta Girls’ High School and Julien Day School, Ganganagar, where admissions have been completed, will start this week.
The Loreto schools in the city have completed their admission process.
La Martiniere for Girls will consider the “computed year’s average of the last academic year” for admission.
“The admission to Class XI will be based on school records. We have already tested them and if we do not consider that we will be contradicting our assessment,” said Rupkatha Sarkar, the principal of La Martiniere for Girls.
Unless students choose to move to a school with a different board, only the “syllabus and pattern will change” when they move to the next class, Sarkar said.
Some schools took into account the Class IX marks because they were offline exams so schools could understand the progress and aptitude of the student, at least two heads said.
In the circular issued to school heads on Monday, Gerry Arathoon, the chief executive and secretary of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, said: “All CISCE affiliated schools (having the ISC section) are hereby advised to begin the admission process for Class XI, if not already started. In addition, schools should prepare a schedule to begin online classes for the Class XI students at the earliest.”
Some schools had already decided to start making use of the time.
“We welcome the decision of the council because students now can concentrate on Class XI without having to stress over the Class X exams. It is a relief for both parents and students,” said Aruna Gomes, the principal of Loreto House.
Gomes said that in Class XI, the students choose a stream and the subjects they want to study. Now that Class X exams has been cancelled, students need not study subjects that they do not want to pursue.
Devi Kar, the director of Modern High school, said students will “look forward to new subjects and carry on”.
“The best part of this announcement is children can move ahead instead of hanging on to something because no one can guarantee when things will get better. The excitement amongst children is obvious and their mind is now free,” said Jessica Gomes Surana, the principal of Loreto Convent Entally.
Julien Day School, Ganganagar, had decided to start classes for those students who would choose not to appear for the exams but from Wednesday, they will start classes for everybody.
“We were thinking of starting the classes and the council’s announcement has made the decision easier for us,” said Sujoy Biswas, the principal of Rammohan Mission High School.
