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• we seem to be eager to get the exams cancelled at the first sign of problem. last year NEET was conducted and not a single candidate died. This time, had we planned we could have had the X and XII exams earlier, say in February. But we didnt do that. parents, students, teachers and govt -- all of them happy to cancel exams. easy way out. XII is a critical point. myriad group combinations the students take. if they are not challenged on what they have learnt, how will they fare in the future? or am I a boring old man who doesnt grasp new times and new technology? the book worms and the intelligent kids will suffer because they wont get marks they expect or deserve. doesnt matter to the dullards. what a dumb thing to do.

• Mr. Venkata Vemuri,
  I'm an educationist. since I have a completely different take from yours, I thought i would respond briefly to your questions posted here.
  Your first question is 'how will they fare in the future if they are not challenged on what they have learnt?' but the question in return is 'what is the future one is referring to'?. One should know that our enrollment ratio is just a little over 25% - this basically means that nearly 75% do not go into any kind of studies after their 12th. So, are testing in the 12th whether we have given them adequate life skills or the conceptual knowledge from their subjects that can be used in whatever they plan to do - a job or study? Unfortunately no. What is tested in the useless Board exams is mainly recalling content that has been pushed into them without any understanding. How do you think these assessments challenge them on what they should have learnt? They don't, hence the current Board exams in it present form has to be abandoned.
  Now, the question is how will you certify what they have learnt. Well, after keeping children in a schooling system for 15 years of their life, there are many different and better ways of ascertaining what they have learnt than a 60 minute exam on each subject; that is a longer topic so not going to detail it here. Here it suffices to say this even more radical thing: For one, as long as they have been present regularly to school, they would have learnt enough to deserve a school leaving certificate without any exams! In fact, if we are labelling any child at grade XII as 'fail' it should mean that the adults around the child and especially those running the system have failed - not the child.
  If every child is given a school leaving certificate after completing 15 years of schooling, the next question is what about college admissions. That is for the 25% who plan to go for higher studies. Most of them will anyways write their respective entrance exams for the professional courses - if they have been taught well in school, they will do well, if not they will not be able to clear. For those entering colleges which bank upon 12th marks, they will have to be given some common entrance at best of the college itself does not have one. Whatever it is, for 25% to enter college, a sham like the 12th Board should not be forced upon the children - its utility is zilch - neither do these exams make them better citizens nor does it teach them anything. It is nothing but one that puts a label (fail, pass, rank, etc.) based on archaic forms of assessments.
  I'm not calling you boring or old (as you have hinted in your comment), but hopefully i have given you some new thoughts.
  regards,
  rishikesh

• you are right RISHIKESH